Homes  and  Their  Decoration 


"WRITING-TABLES    ARE    TO    BE    PREFERRED    TO    DESKS" 
(SEE  PAGE  234) 


Homes  and  Their 

,•       *  - 

Decoration 


By 

LilHe  Hamilton  French 

Author  of 
"Hezekiah's  Wives,"   "My  Old  Maid's  Corner,"  etc. 


New  York 

Dodd,  Mead  and  Company 
1903 


Copyright,  1903 
BY  DODD,   MEAD  AND  COMPANY 

Published  September,    1903 


UNIVERSITY  PRESS   •    JOHN  WILSON 
AND    SON    •    CAMBRIDGE,  U.  S.  A. 


TO 

ALICE   CARRINGTON   ROYCE 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTE*  PAGE 

I.    INDIVIDUAL  REQUIREMENTS i 

II.     THE  METHOD  OF  PROCEDURE 19 

III.  COLOR  IN  DECORATION .     .  46 

IV.  KITCHENS 61 

V.     BEDROOMS  :  APARTMENTS 75 

VI.     BEDROOMS  :  HOUSES 88 

VII.    BEDS  AND  BED-LINEN 107 

VIII.     BATHROOMS 126 

IX.    DINING-ROOMS 139 

X.  THE  DINING-ROOM:    THE  DECORATION  OF  THE 

TABLE 161 

XI.  THE  DINING-ROOM  :   THE   APPOINTMENTS  OF  THE 

TABLE 176 

XII.     SIDEBOARDS 183 

XIII.  PARLORS 187 

XIV.  DRAWING-ROOMS 210 

XV.    LIBRARIES  AND  LIVING-ROOMS 221 

XVI.     HALLS  :  APARTMENTS 237 

XVII.    HALLS  :  HOUSES 253 

XVIII.     HALLS  :  HOUSES  (continued) 266 

XIX.    WINDOWS 274 

XX.     WINDOWS  (continued) 293 

XXI.    THE  FLOORS 308 

XXII.    THE  FIREPLACE 317 

vii 


XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 


CONTENTS 

VERANDAS,  LOGGIA,  AND  BALCONIES       .     .     . 
THE  LIGHTING  OF  A  HOUSE    ....... 

PICTURE  HANGING  AND  FRAMING      ..... 

THE  DECORATIVE  POSSIBILITIES  IN  PLASTER  CASTS 
WRITING-TABLES  AND  PIANOS  ....... 

DIVANS  .............. 

MOUNTAIN  CAMPS  AND  HOLIDAY  RETREATS    . 
SINGLE  ROOMS  AND  STUDIOS    ....... 

MAKING  OVER  FURNITURE        ....... 

NOTES  AND  SUGGESTIONS 


PAGE 

336 

348 

355 
363 
369 
377 
3«3 
393 
404 
416 


via 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Full-page  Illustrations 

"  Writing-tables  are  to  be  preferred  to  desks  "     .      .     Frontispiece 

FACING  PAGE 

"Hung  with  copper  cooking  utensils  " 62 

"Just  above  this  kitchen  is  another"  .......        64 

"In  ordinary  apartments,   then,   the  pillows  must  be   left 

under  the  cover " 86 

"  At  the  foot  of  the  bed  is  the  couch  facing  the  fire"  ...  96 
"  The  head  of  the  bed  goes  against  the  blank  wall "  ...  98 
"  The  yellow  of  the  brass  and  that  of  the  window  repeated 

each  other  " 130 

"The  hot  and  cold  water-pipes  at  the  head  of  the  tub  were 

tapped" 132 

"That    with     the    corner     cupboard    has    white    wood- 
work " 144 

"  The  only  china  appearing  from  under  cover  is  the  blue 

and  white" 146 

"The  top  of  the  low-boy  is  used  as  a  sideboard"      .      .      .      150 
"  The  sideboard  stands  in  a  conventional  town-house  dining- 
room  "       154 

"  Never  for  a  display  of  the  teaspoons  and  forks"  .  .  .  183 
"  Sideboards  which  have  been  bought  in  old  houses  for  a 

song" 184 

"A  claret  bottle  may  stand  on  a  sideboard,  but  a  beer  bottle 

—  never  " 1 86 

ix 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING  PAGE 
HOW  Wall  SpaCC  may  be  utilized.  (Showing  use  of  same  wall  space 

as  in  illustration  oppoiite  page  191  ) I  9° 

HOW  Wall  Space  may  be  Utilized.  (Showing  use  of  same  wall  space 

a*  in  illustration  opposite  page  190)        ...        ..        •        ...  '  9  2 

"  The  interests  must  be  concentrated,  not  scattered  "       .      .  196 

The  wall  space  running  from  the  window 198 

The  wall  space  running  from  the  window 200 

"  One  parlor  has  been  treated  in  green  and  white  "       .      .  204 

"  Greens  and  yellows  alone  are  permitted  " 206 

"  Living  rooms  and  libraries  .    .    .  gain  an  air  of  distinction  "  230 

"  It  belongs  to  a  boudoir  or  study  " 232 

"  The  majority  of  us  must  content  ourselves  with  those  which 

the  builder  has  erected  " 238 

"  My  fire  is  my  friend  " 318 

"Fireplaces  were  sometimes  of  enormous  size  "  .      .      .      .  322 
Mantelpieces  directly  over  each  other  in  the  same  apartment- 
house.        (See  illustrations  opposite  pages  332  and  334)          ....  33O 

Mantelpieces  directly  over  each  other  in  the  same  apartment- 
house.       (See  illustrations  opposite  pages  330  and  334) 33  2 

Mantelpieces  directly  over  each  other  in  the  same  apartment- 
house.       (See  illustrations  opposite  pages  330  and  332) 334 

"  Every  detail  has  been  carefully  studied  " 378 

' '  The  upholsterer    can  make  a  background   to  match   the 

divan" 380 

Illustrations  in  the  Text 

PAGE 

Old  Cathedral  Lamp  of  Hammered  Brass 3 

Pie-crust  Table 8 

Pie-crust  Table 9 

Old    Dutch   Chair  of  Oak,  richly  carved   with  cushions  of 

dark  red   leather,  Albany   Historical  Society   ....  10 
Old  Chair  used  by  the   Governor   of  Virginia  two  hundred 

years  ago 10 

x 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Florentine  Chair 1 1 

Small  Table,  Tea-tray  with  Legs  and  Handles  ....  13 

Cosey  Chair 14 

Lamp  Shade  made  of  a  square  of  Crepe  Paper  with  a  hole 

in  the  centre 15 

"Embowed"  Chair,  1727,  Yale  Library 18 

Fine  Colonial  Tea  Service  of  Silver.  Date  1798  .  .  .  20 

A  Modern  Electric  Light  from  Belgium 23 

Modern  Chair  of  Oak  (stained  dark),  used  also  without  the 

back 24 

Adam  Secretary  Bookcase 29 

Hepplewhite  Chair 34 

Design  for  Door  Grille  adopted  from  an  old  Spanish  motive  41 

Venetian  Lantern,  brass  (used  on  the  Gondolas)  ...  46 

Chippendale  Chair 49 

Good  example  of  simple  old  Leaded  Glass,  Haddon  Hall  .  5 1 
Splendid  Old  Hanging.  Spanish  Applique.  Cloth  of  Gold 

and  Spangles  on  Silk  Velvet  of  rich  red.  Early  Renaissance  52 

A  typical  old  Dutch  Chair.  Seventeenth  Century  ...  54 

Old  Clock  made  in  New  England  in  1767 61 

Old-fashioned  Candlestick 63 

Dutch  Plate  Shelf 66 

Tiny  Ironing  Board,  to  hook  on  a  Table 67 

Cantigalli  Pitcher 70 

"  Cantigalli  "  (crowing  cock)  the  mark  on  this  Pottery  .  70 

A  reproduction  of  an  old  Dutch  Kitchen 71 

Plan  of  a  Tiny  Kitchen  in  a  small  apartment  in  Paris  .  .  74 

German  Wrought  Iron 75 

Clothes  Tree.  1820.  Carved  Mahogany 78 

Combination  Window-Seat  and  Book-Shelves  built  in  a  Hall 

Bedroom  seven  feet  wide 80 

Oak  Mirror  Frame,  heavily  carved.  (Three  hundred  years 

old) 85 

xi 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Modern  German  Electric  Light  Fixture 88 

Bureau  for  country  Cottages 90 

Simple  Dressing  Table 95 

Very  fine  Empire  Bureau,  now  in  the  Museum  of  Furniture, 

Paris 100 

Plan  of  Guest  Room 103 

The  Duxbury  Chair.      Very  light,  yet  strong.      Well  braced 

from  the  seat  up 104 

Old  Mahogany  Dressing  Table 105 

Bedroom  Candlestick.      Brown   pottery   with  green   clover 

leaves.      Modern  Dresden  ware 107 

Silk  muslin  mosquito   netting  over  Bed.      Curtains,   looped 

back  in  the  daytime,  are  dropped  at  night    .      .      .      .  109 

A  Dainty  Bed 1 1 1 

Louis  XVI.  gilded  Bedstead 113 

Low  post  Mahogany  Bedstead,  now  in  Brooklyn       .      .      .  116 

Electric  Light  Bracket,  Hammered  Brass 127 

An  interesting  piece  of  Colonial  Glass  four  feet  long  .      .      .  132 

Stencilled  border  for  Bathroom 134 

Large  Candlestick  of  heavy  green  pottery.      Shade  of  parch- 
ment with  heraldic  design      .      . 139 

Chippendale  Chair.      Easthampton,  L.I 141 

Hepplewhite  Chair 143 

Chippendale  Chair  from  New  England,  1788      .      .      .      .  144 

Florentine  Cabinet  of  carved  Oak 145 

Type  of  Chair  very  common  in  this  country  about  i  800      .  1 47 

Hepplewhite  Chair,  made  in  America 149 

Sheraton  Chair.      Painted  black,  with  decorations  of  scrolls, 

colored  and  gilded.      American,  about  1810    .      .      .      .  151 
Drop  Light  over  Dining-Table,  Wrought  Iron  and  Leaded 

Glass  in  green  and  blue 1 60 

An  English  Lamp 161 

Fine  old  Nankeen  Teapot  (blue  and  white) 163 

xii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Large  Fruit  Dish  of  blue  and  white  Delft 1 66 

Louis  XVI.  Table 171 

Candle  Brackets  on  either   side  of  old  Door  in  the  Steen, 

Antwerp,  1899 187 

Old  English  Table,  two  feet  high 188 

Small  Colonial  Tea  Table  (gayly  painted) 190 

Hepplewhite  Chair 194 

A  Summer  Parlor 197 

Parlor  with  its  most  important  Furniture 199 

Glass  Candlestick 200 

Sketched  in  South  Kensington  Museum  from  a  French  Table 

of  the  Sixteenth  Century 205 

German  Wrought  Iron.      Cresting  for  low  Wooden  Screen  209 

An  English  Electrolier 210 

Hepplewhite  Chair,  a  type  common  here  at  the  beginning 

of  the  Nineteenth  Century 212 

A  Philadelphia  House 217 

Empire  Cheval  Glass 218 

Reading  Lamp 221 

Library 223 

Plan  showing  revised  Library 224 

Clock-face  carved  and  stained .  226 

A  Smoking  Room 228 

Weathered  Oak  Divan  with  Seat  thirty  inches  deep  .      .      .  230 

Sketch  of  Library 231 

Clock,  carved  and  stained  brown,  scarlet,  and  green       .      .  232 

Good  example  of  a  Morris  Chair  made  in  this  country   .      .  233 

Italian  Table  richly  carved 234 

Large  Table  for  Library  of  heavy  Oak 236 

Large  Lantern  of  perforated  Brass,  white  and  colored  Glass  237 
Swing  Doors  cutting  off  the  end  of  a  long,  narrow  Hall- 
way in  an  Apartment 242 

Screen  five  feet  high 245 

xiii 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Oak  Settle  for  a  narrow  Hall 248 

Perforated  Brass  Cover  for  a  Steam  Radiator 251 

Electric  Light  Fixture  in  Berlin 253 

English  Clock,  1740 255 

Florentine  Chair,  richly  carved  Oak 256 

Old  Grille,  Paris 257 

New  England  Hall 260 

Clock 262 

Found  over  an  old  Door  in  Bleecker  Street,  New  York  .  .  264 
Side  Light  of  Leaded  Glass,  Colonial  New  York  House,  three 

feet  long 265 

Wrought  Iron  Lantern 266 

Side  Light  from  an  old  House  in  Philadelphia  ....  267 
Wrought  Iron  Crane,  supporting  a  Curtain  in  narrow 

Hallway 269 

Hall  Settle  of  Walnut,  with  carved  Panels 270 

Window  arranged  to  present  an  attractive  appearance  from 

the  street 274 

Fan  Light  from  an  old  House  in  Philadelphia 276 

Window  in  an  Entrance  Hall  in  London,  showing  Seat, 

Leaded  Glass  Windows,  and  Bookcases 279 

Window 283 

Window 287 

Fireplace 290 

Leaded  Glass  from  the  Commandery.  Lights,  four  inches  by 

six  inches.  Quarries,  black  and  yellow 293 

XIV.  Century  Candle  Bracket.  Rowlestone  Church  .  .  310 
Old  German  Chandelier,  made  of  Antlers,  with  a  gayly 

colored  plaster  Figure  in  front 317 

Fireplace  with  Cast  over  it 319 

Design  for  Wrought  Iron  Fender 321 

A  Colonial  Fireplace 322 

Fireplace  in  a  country  Cottage 324 

xiv 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Design  for  long-handled  Bellows 327 

Stone  Fireplace  with  plaster  Cast  over  the  Shelf  .     .     .     .  329 

An  old  English  Fireplace 331 

Fine  old  Franklin  Stove.      Easthampton 333 

Ship's  Lamp  standing  on  a  Table 336 

Well-constructed  Table,  two  feet  high 339 

Swinging  Seat  to  hang  from  Beams  over  Piazza      .     .     .     .  340 

Heavy  Rocker,  with  rush  Bottom,  excellent  Piazza  Seat .     .  343 

An  Electric  Drop-light  from  Belgium 348 

Small  Shade  for  a  Candle  or  Gas-jet,  made  of  perforated 
Brass,  with  large  "Stage  Jewels"   of  Glass,  set  in  the 

Sides 353 

Electric  Drop-light,   with  melon-shaped   Shade  of  Leaded 

green  and  blue  Glass 355 

Sketch  showing  Pictures  hung  in  pyramidal  Form.     Furni- 
ture forming  a  Base 358 

Diagram  showing  the  arrangement  of  Pictures  over  a  low 

Bookcase 360 

Old  Wrought  Iron  Candlestick  from  the  Steen,  Antwerp, 

five  feet,  six  inches  high 363 

Candlestick 369 

Cottage  Writing  Table 372 

Well-built  Library  Table  of  Flemish  Oak 374 

Old  Flemish  Candle  Bracket 377 

Divan,  Mattress  at  the  Back  under  the  Shelf 379 

Old  Ship's  Lamp,  from  a  Whaler 383 

Stairway  leading  out  of  Living-room  in  a  country  House      .  390 

Oak  Settle,  row  of  Miniatures  hanging  under  Shelf    .     .     .  393 

Candle  Brackets  on  either  side  of  old  Door  in  the  Steen     .  396 

A  Smoking  Room 397 

Old  Chair  at  Thun,  carved  by  the  Swiss  Peasants      .     .     .  399 
Oak   Chair  made   in  Boston.     Copy  of  the  one  used  by 

Governor  Bradford 401 

xv 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 
Cheval-glass,  arranged  with   Shelves  for  Shoes  and  Toilet 

Articles 402 

A  Japanese  Wall  Lamp,  made  of  Paper  in  a  Bamboo  Frame  404 

Stencil  Pattern  for  one  color         405 

Early  English  Door  Handles 406 

Door  Handle  from  Haddon  Hall 407 

Early  English  Metal- Work  closing  Ring,  Chant  Merle  Farm, 

Cattistock,  Dorsetshire 409 

Brass  Handle 410 

Simple   old   closing   Ring,    from    the    "  Commandery "    at 

Worcester 411 

Wrought  Iron  Hinge,  two  hundred  years  old.      English       .  412 
Escutcheon,  six  inches  high  from  the  door  of  the  Bishop's 

Palace,  Wells 413 

The  Bed  with  Chintz  Panel  and  Curtains 414 

A  Divan  Corner   treated  with    Chintz  :    in    Bands   on   the 

Window-Trim  ;  in   Panels  on  the  Ceiling  ;    on  Cushions 

for  the  simple  white  Furniture 415 

Old  Hanging  Lamp  for  burning  Oil,  with  a  floating  Wick, 

Brass,  six  inches  high 416 

Side  Light  from  an  old  Colonial  Doorway  in  New  York      .  418 

Seat  End 419 

The  Tudor  Rose  as  used  by  Queen  Elizabeth.     A  simple 

Motive  for  Decoration 421 

Gothic   Motive,   suitable    for   Carving   or  for    Burning    on 

Wood 423 

Old  English  Seat  End 426 

Light  over  a  Door.     Colonial  Leaded  Glass 429 


XVI 


Homes  and  Their  Decoration 


HOMES 


THEIR 


suits 


DECORATION 


CHAPTER    I 

INDIVIDUAL    REQUIREMENTS 

N  the  following  pages  I  have  made 
no  attempt  to  discuss  architectural 
periods  or  problems.      My  purpose 
has    been    to    help   the   bewildered 
householder  to  see  clearly  what  re- 
she  has  been  striving  for,  and  how 
to  go   to  work   to  obtain   them.      I   have 

D 

discussed  the  question  of  decoration  from 
this  point  of  view  only,  quoting  examples  of  suc- 
cessful interiors  whenever  they  have  seemed  helpful. 
An  experience  of  some  years  in  answering  letters 
from  all  over  this  country,  from  Canada,  and  from 
our  colonists  abroad,  —  letters  written  by  women 
of  wealth,  of  limited  means,  by  the  schoolgirl  and 
the  bride,  —  has  enabled  me  to  know  something  of 
the  needs  of  a  portion  of  my  country-women.  By 
means  of  this  correspondence  I  discovered  that  for 
the  most  part  these  women  were  harassed  by  a  sense 
of  their  own  limitations,  and  confused  by  a  medley 

3 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  suggestions,  and  by  various  proclamations  re- 
lating to  infallible  standards  in  household  decora- 
tion, —  standards  which  might  have  been  infallible 
for  somebody  else  in  some  other  condition,  perhaps, 
but  which  were  altogether  inappropriate  for  them  in 
theirs. 

Because  of  the  needs  of  these  women,  therefore, 
I  have  begun  with  this  question  of  requirements. 
There  is  no  escape  from  it,  when  a  human  habita- 
tion comes  under  discussion,  —  whether  this  habita- 
tion take  the  form  of  a  palace,  a  barrack,  or  a  camp  ; 
whether  whole  houses  are  to  be  consecrated  to  the 
use  of  single  families,  or  whole  families  are  to  be 
housed  on  a  single  floor ;  whether  the  home  is  to 
be  a  tenement,  a  studio-building,  a  hut  in  the  wil- 
derness, or  cottage  in  a  country  town ;  whether  it 
is  to  be  in  a  hot  climate  or  a  cold  one ;  whether  its 
owners  are  rich  or  poor,  important  or  obscure,  sin- 
gle or  married.  To  make  the  home  successful,  we 
must  know  the  needs  of  those  who  are  to  dwell  in 
it,  their  circumstances,  and  the  relation  they  bear  to 
the  community  in  which  they  live. 

To  put  it  briefly,  these  requirements  are  not  only 
individual  but  communal.  They  are  distinct  in  each 
instance,  yet  certain  universal  laws  govern  them  all. 
A  man's  duties  to  himself  must  guide  him  on  one 
side ;  his  obligations  to  his  neighbor,  on  the  other. 
These  he  must  balance. 

Take,  by  way  of  illustration,  the  executive  man- 
sion of  a  capital,  a  domicile  bearing  to  the  commu- 
nity in  which  it  stands  a  distinct  and  recognized 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

relationship,  the  conduct  of  its  inmates  toward  the 
public  governed  by  certain  fixed  and  arbitrary  rules. 
Yet,  in  spite  of  the  limitations  prescribed  by  custom, 
how  different  the  atmosphere  which  successive  ten- 
ants create  in  the  solemn  chambers !  One  performs 
the  duties  of  a  station  so  gracefully  as  to  become  a 
tradition,  another  in  a  way  never  to  be  forgotten  for 
its  frigidity  and  its  lack  of  charm.  We,  who  look 
on,  may  praise  in  one  instance  and  decry  in  another, 
yet  we  concede  always  to  each  individual  the  right 
to  his  own  manner  of  expression. 

The  responsibility  of  comprehending  and  respect- 
ing the  domestic  and  social  requirements  rests  for  the 
most  part  upon  woman.  To  be  successful  as  their 
interpreter  she  must  make  them  a  particular  study. 
She  must  first  of  all  understand  what  the  position 
of  her  husband,  her  father,  or  her  own  place  in 
the  world  makes  obligatory  in  the  conduct  of  her 
affairs.  This  understanding  gained,  she  must  en- 
deavor to  adopt  the  best  and  most  approved  methods 
of  meeting  all  the  demands  which  may  be  made 
upon  her  and  upon  her  house.  Until  she  has  done 
this  she  can  never  hope  to  understand  any  question 
of  household  decoration ;  because,  after  all,  the  dec- 
oration of  a  house  implies,  primarily,  making  pro- 
vision for  special  needs.  The  degree  of  felicity  with 
which  these  provisions  are  made,  of  course,  marks 
the  excellence  of  one  decorator  over  another. 

To  be  more  specific,  suppose  that  a  woman  has 
been  brought  up  in  a  quiet  village,  or  a  college  town 
where  life  was  simple,  where  entertaining  was  done 

5 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

on  a  small  scale ;  where  dinner-giving  was  not  an 
art,  not  a  part  of  a  complicated  social  machinery, 
but  an  expression  of  hospitality,  a  dropping  in  of 

neighbors,  or  at  best,  the  entertainment  of  some  dis- 
cs ' 

tinguished  professor  from  another  town  ;  a  village  in 
which  there  was  much  visiting  of  an  evening,  and  a 
going  home  of  everybody,  with  lights  out,  at  ten 
o'clock  ;  where  costumes  were  not  elaborate,  and 
where,  since  the  streets  were  quiet  and  travelled 
principally  by  friends  and  acquaintances,  she  could 
go  afoot  in  her  best  clothes,  requiring  no  carriage 
for  special  functions  in  the  afternoon,  and  none,  un- 
less of  choice,  for  a  party  at  night. 

Suppose  next  that  she  marry  a  man  of  wealth,  and 
move  to  a  town  where  she  is  called  upon  to  preside 
over  a  large  establishment ;  or  that  she  marry  a 
politician  and  move  to  a  capital,  perhaps  Washing- 
ton, where  receptions  and  dinners  are  the  order  of 
the  day ;  where  she  has  to  be  plunged  more  or  less 
into  public  life ;  where  her  duties  are  not  alone  to 
her  children,  nor  to  her  husband  as  the  head  of  his 
house,  but  to  the  position  which  he  holds  before  the 
world,  to  the  office  to  which  his  constituents  have 
elected  him.  Is  it  not  easy  to  see  that  her  whole 
knowledge  of  living  and  entertaining  will  need 
altering,  that  she  will  have  to  learn  how  to  appoint 
and  run  a  house  on  an  altogether  different  scale? 
to  furnish  it  after  a  manner  that  would  never  have 
been  tolerated  in  her  native  village,  bringing  quite 
another  point  of  view  to  bear  upon  the  question 
of  appointments,  equipages,  menus,  costumes?  In 

6 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

other  words,  she  will  have  to  be  educated  to  fill  a 
new  position,  to  follow  a  social  order  to  which  noth- 
ing at  the  old  home  has  accustomed  her.  She  will 
have  to  appoint  her  house  not  only  in  a  way  accept- 
able to  herself,  the  woman  in  it,  but  to  the  commu- 
nity in  which  she  moves  as  a  conspicuous  figure. 
The  decoration  of  the  home  then  presents  itself  to 
her  as  quite  a  new  problem. 

On  the  other  hand,  suppose  that  she  had  been 
reared  in  affluence  and  had  then  married  a  poor 
clergyman  whose  parish  lay  in  some  remote  county ; 
or  a  lawyer  who  had  his  way  to  make ;  or  an  officer 
in  the  army  without  a  settled  home.  She  might 
have  to  begin  her  new  life  in  a  parsonage,  an  apart- 
ment, or  an  army  post.  How  different  the  require- 
ments of  each  case  would  be  !  How  differently  she 
would  have  to  consider  them  ! 

Or,  again,  she  might  be  a  spinster,  choosing  be- 
tween a  boarding-house,  a  couple  of  rooms,  or  a 
cheap  apartment.  She  might,  as  the  wife  of  an  ar- 
tist, have  to  live  in  a  studio-building,  or  if  she  had 
lost  her  money,  she  might  have  to  content  herself 
with  one  room  only.  Had  she  to  come  down  in 
the  world,  be  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  pondering 
the  question  of  ways  and  means  in  the  preservation 
of  her  dignity  and  refinement,  she  would  have  to  ap- 
proach the  subject  from  still  another  standpoint,  but 
she  would  not  be  so  likely  to  make  mistakes  in 
judgment  as  other  people  who  are  trying  to  widen 
out ;  for  she  would  hasre  all  her  past  experience  to 
call  upon,  her  knowledge  of  propriety  and  propor- 

7 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


tion  to  guide  her.  She  would  know  the  essentials 
of  refined  living,  and  what  unessentials  to  avoid. 
She  would,  for  instance,  know  how  to  pick  her  way 
judiciously  among  cheap  articles 
of  furniture,  how  to  choose 
one  tea-cup  because  its  lines 
were  good,  even  though 
it  cost  a  sixpence  only, 
how  to  discard  one  that 
cost  a  little  more,  be- 
cause it  was  pretentious 
and  ugly.  She  would 
know,  indeed,  what  good 
thing  the  cheap  thing  tried 
to  imitate.  For  that  reason 
she  would  never  buy  a  fragile 
gilt  chair,  but  she  would  sacri- 
fice much  in  order  to  purchase 
a  good  sideboard  and  table. 
In  this  way  she  would  prove, 
though  unconsciously,  that  she 
understood  what  constituted 
correct  principles  in  the  deco- 
ration of  the  home.  An  undeniable  stamp  of  re- 
finement would  at  the  same  time  be  given  to  her 
environment. 

Were  she,  however,  in  furnishing  a  single  room, 
to  introduce  appointments  suitable  only  to  elabo- 
rate houses,  —  furniture  covered  with  satins,  bro- 
cades, and  costly  stuffs,  or  worse  still,  with  imitations 
of  them,  —  what  could  be  said  of  her  ?  The  very  fact 

3 


Table 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


of  her  being  able  to  possess  but  a  single  room  would 
imply  a  modest  station  in  life,  well-born  and  high- 
bred as  she  might  be.  But  how  could  she  prove  her 
heritage  unless  she  proved  that  what- 
ever its  proud  character 
she  could  yet  adapt  herself 
with  dignity  to  the  limita- 
tions of  an  altered  and  a  cramped  posi- 
tion ?  She  could  lend  her  single  room  a 
certain  distinction  by  keeping  it  simple 
and  by  keeping  it  clean,  and  "  cleanliness," 
as  some  distinguished  critic  has  said,  "  is 
a  decoration  in  itself."  She  could, 
too,  make  the  one  room  hospitable 
even  if  there  were  but  one  chair 
in  it  to  offer.  It  would  depend 
upon  herself,  not  upon  her  posses- 
sions. In  the  placing  of  that  soli- 
tary chair,  as  in  the  choice  of  it,  she  could  prove 
her  knowledge  of  refinement,  —  imitation  brocades 
and  gilt  chairs  could  never  prove  it. 

Inappropriate  as  the  mere  elegance  of  upholstered 
satins  would  be  in  a  single  room,  it  must  never  be 
forgotten  that  the  presence  of  a  beautiful  work  of 
art  would  lift  it  at  once  off  the  plane  of  the  merely 
commonplace  and  essential.  A  beautiful  work  of 
art  is  never  inappropriate  anywhere,  unless  its  size 
prove  too  overpowering,  as  in  the  case  of  a  marble 
statue  in  a  small  room.  Having  such  in  her  posses- 
sion, a  bit  of  carving,  a  painting,  a  bronze,  or  even 
a  piece  of  silver  or  crystal,  were  a  woman  forced  to 

9 


Pie-crust  Table 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


live  in  a  hovel,  a  certain  dignity  would  be  lent  to 
her  surroundings.  And  for  this  reason,  it  has  often 
seemed  wrong  to  me  for  the  well-to-do 
to  object  to  the  giving  of  beautiful  things 
to  those  of  limited  means,  because  the 
beautiful  things  were  unsuitable,  or  be- 
cause only  the  physical  necessities  of  the 
genteel  poor  ought  to  be  consid- 
ered. Furbelows  are  inappropri- 
ate in  poverty,  but  beautiful  objects 
never,  if  their  owners 
love  them.  House- 
hold gifts  ought  not 
to  be  chosen  with  ref- 
erence to  the  pecu- 
niary limitations  of 
the  recipients, 
o^k.  but  with  refer- 


Cfuahjaixs  op.  cUrkrecl 
Hi  *Tbr  ic  n\ 


Oc  j  e 


I  " 


T 

the   suggestion 


Old 


ence  to  a  power 
in  the  gift  to 
lift  and  glad- 
den, bringing 
of  better  things 
into  the  lives  of  those  unable  to 
provide  such  things  for  them- 
selves. A  foolish  satin  sofa  cush- 

.,,  ,  .  tu»o   h.unetr««t  years 

ion    will    not    do    this,    nor    an 
elaborate   combination    of  marble    and   gilt,   but   a 
beautiful  picture  will,  or  a  piece  of  bronze,  a  carved 
chair  or  table,  even  if  those  who  receive  them  must 
live  out  their  days  in  a  single  room. 


seol  by  "is 

AN/**      *         ' 


10 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Suppose,  once  more,  a  change  of  condition  com- 
pelling a  woman  to  a  new  study  of  requirements. 
She  had  lived  a  life  of  social  obligations  in  town, 
and  wanted  to  escape  the  formalities  and  the  man- 
agement of  servants,  to  indulge  a  holiday  spirit 
under  the  trees.  How  ill-judged  were  she  to  fur- 
nish a  cabin  in  the  woods  or  by  the  sea  with  the 
same  appointments  as  those  appropriate 
to  a  city  house  !  The 
charm  of  the  camps  in 
the  Adirondack  and  Can- 
ada woods,  luxurious  and 
costly  as  some  of  them  are, 
lies  in  the  fact  that  although 
every  comfort  is  provided, 
nothing  suggesting  care  _ 

&  &&  &  TTorguJTrzc     Chai 

is  introduced ;  nothing  — 
that  would  imply  inter- 
ference with  the  free  enjoyment  of  the  woods 
or  the  untrammelled  life  of  those  who  have  gone 
there  for  rest  and  refreshment.  A  satin  hanging 
in  a  camp  would  be  inappropriate ;  ebonies,  ma- 
hoganies, costly  inlaid  woods,  as  much  out  of  key 
as  an  elaborate  service  of  silver  and  glass.  On 
finely  appointed  yachts,  where  the  whole  life  is  luxu- 
rious and  where  the  management  of  details  does  not 
devolve  upon  the  owner,  but  is  made  over  to  com- 
petent hands,  a  question  of  possessions  implying 
too  much  care  does  not  enter  in.  Life  on  board  a 
yacht,  too,  is  more  isolated,  more  compact,  if  I  may 
use  the  word,  than  life  in  a  camp,  where  everything 

ii 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

is  open,  even  to  the  squirrels  and  the  birds.  Com- 
fort can  then  be  indulged  with  propriety  and  with- 
out the  sacrifice  of  any  sense  of  freedom  in  a  camp, 
a  solitary  cabin  in  the  woods,  or  on  a  yacht ;  but 
the  choice  of  materials  for  providing  that  comfort 
or  for  introducing  the  beautiful  must  vary  with  each 
environment.  So  must  the  choice  of  materials  used 
in  decoration.  A  woman  I  know,  who  understands 
this  question  thoroughly,  will  never,  for  instance, 
permit  geraniums  in  the  boxes  on  the  porches  of 
an  Adirondack  camp,  nor  the  boxes  themselves  to 
be  made  of  porcelain,  tiles,  or  any  other  imported 
material.  The  fruits  and  vegetables  consumed  on 
her  table  come  from  a  distance,  since  they  help  to 
nourish  the  physical  man.  Her  table  decorations, 
however,  are  of  ferns,  not  garden  flowers. 

Whatever  the  life  of  the  individual,  whether  it 
represents  a  growing  prosperity,  an  enlarging,  or  a 
cramping,  of  means,  a  woman  must  prove  her  knowl- 
edge of  requirements  in  still  another  way,  —  in  the 
provision  made  for  her  servants,  and  in  the  number 
of  those  she  provides  for  the  running  of  her  house. 
When  a  home  is  planned  and  furnished,  she  must 
not  only  know  what  to  do  for  the  well-being  of 
those  under  her,  for  their  physical  comfort,  their 
recreation,  and  their  discipline,  but  she  must  know 
what  their  conduct  should  be,  not  only  in  the  care 
of  her  personal  belongings,  but  in  the  care  of  her 
guests,  so  that  they  represent  her  worthily,  as  ser- 
vants should,  expressing  the  spirit  of  her  house, 
whatever  its  spirit  may  be,  whether  one  of  hospi- 


HOMES  AND   THEIR   DECORATION 

tality,  dignity,  reserve,  or  magnificence.     If  she  en- 
tertains on  a  large  scale,  she  must  know  what  enter- 
taining should  be,  how  to  train  her 
maid  for  her  cloak-room,  and  her  but- 
ler for   her   dining-room.      She  must 
know  even  better  than  they  what  silver 
should  go  on  her  sideboard,  what  linen 
on  her  table,  what  flowers  in  her  vases, 
and  how  tea  should  be  served  in  the 
afternoon ;    or  how  a  glass   of  sherry 
and  a  biscuit  should  be  carried  to  the 
exhausted  old  lady  who  has  come  to 
make  an  afternoon  visit.  awl      "" 

She  should  know  these  things  whether  she  were 
rich  or  poor ;  whether  she  had  twenty  domestics  to 
carry  out  her  wishes,  or  the  necessity  were  hers  of 
preserving  the  refinements  with  the  help  of  but  one 
—  or  none ;  whether  she  had  an  apartment  or  a 
house ;  whether  a  formal  or  an  informal  manner  of 
living  were  hers.  And  in  whatever  condition  of 
splendor  or  of  simplicity  she  lived,  she  would  still 
have  her  own  views,  tastes,  and  sympathies  to  con- 
sider. The  question  of  individuality  is  paramount. 
There  is  no  real  decoration  of  the  home  without  it, 
however  splendid  the  environment.  A  house  dec- 
orated to  order,  and  lacking  this  individual  touch, 
is  often  little  better  than  a  railway  station. 

You,  as  a  householder  and  a  woman,  must  know 
just  what  your  house  is  to  stand  for,  what  of  your- 
self you  want  to  express  in  it  and  through  it.  Sup- 
pose that  your  whole  idea  was  to  have  a  hospitable 

'3 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


home,  one  with  wide  welcoming  doors  open  to  every 
friend ;  a  home  in  which  those  who  came  were  made 
at  ease  and  from  which  they  went  away  refreshed. 
Suppose,  I  say,  that  you  began  your  house  with 
this  idea.  Could  you,  if  this  were  so,  imagine 
your  keeping  in  your  parlor  an  uncomfortable 

chair,  with  its  legs  too  short 
or  too  long,  and  its  back  bent 
so  that  no  one  could  sit  in  it 
without  breaking  his  own  ? 
Were   you   sincere  in   your 
claim  to  the  hospitable  spirit, 
could  you  rest  content  until 
you  had  substituted  an- 
other chair  for  that  one 
entailing  such   universal 
discomfort?     Could  you 
ever  hope  to  understand 
anything  about  the  dec- 
oration of  the  home  if  you 
went    on     ignoring    details 
like  these  ? 

Suppose,  again,  that  you  were  proud  of  a  certain 
lamp  in  your  room,  but  that  your  visitors  were  al- 
ways wriggling  to  get  away  from  its  glare  —  holding 
up  a  fan  or  a  pamphlet  to  protect  the  eyes.  What 
sort  of  hospitality  would  be  yours  if  you  permitted 
the  lamp  to  remain  ?  In  the  arrangement  of  your 
lamps,  as  in  that  of  your  chairs,  to  be  truly  comple- 
mentary to  the  spirit  and  the  purport  of  your 
home,  you  should  study  the  needs  of  every  inmate. 


Cosey  Chair 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


Lamps  should  not  be  in  out-of-the-way  corners 
when  one  wants  to  read,  nor  in  places  where  the 
light  would  be  wearisome  if  people  cared  only  to 
talk.  Chairs  should  be  placed  where  they  provide 
the  most  comfort.  The  decoration  of  a  home  means 
nothing  but  a  consideration  of  the  requirements 
of  a  family  or  its  guests,  providing  for  them  in 
the  best  and  most  felicitous  manner  possible. 

I  know  a  large,  beautifully  proportioned, 
country-house  hall,  panelled  in  oak,  with 
heavy  timbers  in  the  ceiling.  It  is  as  empty 
as  lower  Broadway  after  midnight.  "  I  have 
never  known  what  to  do  with  it, "  its  pros- 
perous owner  sighed  in  my  ear.  Never  known 
what  to  do  with  it,  I  thought ;  and  yet  she  has 
lived  in  that  house  for  years.  She  has  a  hus- 
band, too,  and  a  house  full  of  young  children, 
besides  an  unlimited  bank  account  and  a  few  friends. 
I  can,  in  imagination,  see  the  members  of  her  house- 
hold all  go  skipping  through  that  gloomy  hall  when 
twilight  has  fallen  or  when  dinner  is  over,  and  so  on 
into  the  one  room  really  comfortable  in  her  house, 
—  the  library;  which  is  not  a  library,  since  every 
one  sits  in  it  and  there  is  not  a  corner  quiet  enough 
for  a  book.  She  has  never  known  what  to  do  with 
her  hall,  because  she  has  never  known  what  she 
wanted  that  hall  to  do  for  her.  She  has  never  had 
any  ideas  to  express  in  it.  Yet  she  might,  out  of 
mere  politeness,  as  a  compliment  to  her  guests  or  to 
her  family,  but  especially  to  her  guests,  who  pass 
through,  have  long  ago  filled  it  with  fine  old  carved 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

chests  (she  can  afford  to  buy  them).  She  could 
have  had  a  fire  burning  on  its  ample  hearth,  its 
blaze  adding  a  note  of  welcoming  color.  She  could 
have  introduced  pictures,  bronzes,  plants.  Plants 
are  beautiful  anywhere. 

I  have  said  just  above,  "  especially  the  guests," 
for  I  believe  that  no  decoration  of  a  house  can  be 
beautiful  which  ignores  the  comfort  and  the  well- 
being  of  those  who  are  invited  within  its  portals. 
Man  is  a  social  being.  As  he  ascends  in  the  scale 
of  civilization,  his  social  needs  become  more  and 
more  defined.  He  must  not  live  for  himself  alone, 
neither  should  he  build  his  house  without  consid- 
eration of  his  fellow-beings.  Of  course,  by  making 
his  own  life  full,  he  equips  himself  for  enriching 
that  of  others ;  but  the  two  processes  should  go  side 
by  side,  in  obedience  to  interdependent  obligations 
and  necessities.  The  best  architects  understand 
this.  They  consider  the  human  relations,  the  graces 
and  the  charms  of  life,  whether  they  are  designing 
the  simplest  of  parlors  or  the  most  splendid  of  re- 
ception-rooms. They  understand  that  something 
besides  the  formal  salutations  of  a  hostess  should 
welcome  her  guests  to  a  ball ;  that  a  way  of  ap- 
proach to  her  side  should  be  made  easy,  and  the 
way  from  it ;  the  way  also  of  loitering  with  one 
friend  or  of  joining  another  ;  that  at  every  step  there 
should  be  beguilement  and  pleasure  for  the  eye  and 
comfort  for  the  body.  The  true  spirit  of  decora- 
tion leaves  none  of  these  questions  neglected,  and 
the  eternal  quest  of  the  home-lover  should  be  for 

16 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  best  means  by  which  these  various  requirements 
could  be  met.  To  arrange  and  rearrange  until  the 
desideratum  is  reached,  is  the  business  of  all  those 
who  are  interested  in  the  decoration  of  homes, 
whether  simple  or  elaborate.  Wall-papers,  curtains, 
rugs,  and  stuffs  for  upholstery  are  so  many  tools 
whereby  the  decorator  obtains  the  atmosphere  he 
desires.  And  the  question  of  atmosphere  will  not 
always  come  from  a  successful  handling  of  these  in- 
struments. You  may  purchase  the  interior  decora- 
tions of  a  palace  and  set  them  up  in  your  house, 
and  find  the  result  sadly  lacking  in  harmony,  in 
dignity.  The  setting  should  never  be  out  of  keep- 
ing with  the  life  that  is  to  be  lived  before  it :  only 
by  the  harmony  of  the  two  can  you  arrive  at  the 
best  results. 

For  instance,  should  you,  as  I  said,  desire  above 
all  other  things  to  be  hospitable,  to  have  your  house 
express  welcome,  you  must  not  suppose  that  this 
means  a  throwing  down  of  all  the  barriers  in  order 
to  admit  each  visitor  to  the  intimacies.  "  We  treat 
you  as  one  of  the  family,"  a  certain  woman  once 
said  to  a  visitor.  But  to  be  treated  as  one  of  the 
family,  this  visitor  afterwards  discovered,  was  to  be 
made  absolutely  and  thoroughly  uncomfortable- 

And  here  a  delicate  subject  is  touched  upon,  since 
there  are  many  who  urge  that  true  hospitality  con- 
sists in  giving  to  guests  only  that  to  which  you 
yourself  are  accustomed  every  day ;  only  such  a 
dinner  as  you  would  eat  alone ;  only  such  a  chair  as 
that  in  which  you  would  be  comfortable.  "  What 
2  '7 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


Vale 


is  good  enough  for  me  is  good  enough  for  my 
friends,"  the  vulgar  man  expresses  it.  These  per- 
sons would  have  no  room  for  the  reception  of  vis- 
itors except  one  used  in  the 
daily  life  of  the  family.  But  it 
seems  to  me  that  the  hospitable 
instinct  has  to  do  only  with 
the  comfort  and  well-being  of 
others,  and  that  if  it  means 
anything  it  means  giving  to 
others  your  best.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  your  guest  wants 
only  what  you  have,  wants  the 
intimacies  and  you  want  to 
admit  him  to  them,  then  by  all 
means  do  as  he  desires.  But 
if  your  guest  wants  to  make  a 
formal  visit  when  he  comes,  a 
family  living-room  is  not  the 
room  in  which  that  formal  visit 
should  be  made. 

At  one  time  in  this  country 
there  was  a  great  outcry  against 
the  "  best  parlors  "  of  small  country  houses,  those 
vault-like  chambers  in  which  no  sun  ever  shone, 
and  into  which  the  occasional  visitor  was  invariably 
ushered,  to  shiver  or  to  wilt  according  to  his  sus- 
ceptibility or  powers  of  resistance.  The  reaction 
away  from  these  awful  places,  with  their  cold,  musty 
odors,  carried  us  into  parlors  in  which  it  was  obli- 
gatory to  display  some  sign  of  having  but  that  very 

18 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

instant  been  vacated  by  a  mistress.  It  was  fash- 
ionable to  see  an  open  book  laid  upside  down  on 
a  sofa,  or  a  few  sheets  of  music  spread  carelessly 
on  the  open  piano,  and  I  remember  a  certain  parlor 
in  Boston  in  which  a  lady's  worsted  work  always 
appeared  on  a  particular  table,  a  particular  chair 
being  drawn  up  by  it.  That  was  in  the  days  when 
Morris  had  begun  to  educate  the  people  in  ques- 
tions of  beauty  and  when  the  rage  of  crewels  began, 
especially  for  the  greens,  the  olives,  and  dull  golds. 
So  this  was  why  the  work-bag  of  the  lady  in  Boston 
was  always  left  open  on  a  table  and  showed  the 
long  strands  of  greens  and  olives  in  her  crewels 
laid  flat  on  a  piece  of  spotless  linen.  How  well  I 
remember  them  !  Indeed,  why  should  I  have  for- 
gotten them  ?  I  saw  the  same  strands  week  after 
week  throughout  an  entire  winter.  Everybody  else 
in  Boston  knew  those  crewels,  too.  They  used  to 
remind  me  of  the  baby's  little  linen  shirt  which 
Becky  Sharp  kept  in  her  work-basket  on  her  draw- 
ing-room table.  She  never  sewed  on  the  shirt  ex- 
cept when  she  wanted  to  make  an  impression,  and 
her  son  Rawdon  was  a  boy  in  trousers  before  it  was 
half  finished. 

Another  departure  carried  us  away  from  parlors 
and  living-rooms  into  reception-rooms  furnished  at 
great  cost  and  hung  with  pictures,  every  effort  being 
made  to  create  an  impression  of  elegance  in  them. 
But  how  dreary  and  unlivable  and  pretentious  were 
these  costly  reception-rooms,  almost  as  unendurable 
as  the  best  parlors  of  an  earlier  generation.  All  of 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

which  goes  to  prove  that  the  subject  is  absorbing 
and  not  easy  of  solution,  and  that  only  as  men  and 
women  grow  in  grace  and  cultivation  and  in  true 
consideration  of  their  neighbors  can  we  hope  to 
arrive  at  that  point  where  beauty  and  grace  and  all 
the  hospitable  virtues  can  be  expressed  within  the 
limitations  prescribed  by  formal  codes.  But  then, 
after  all,  what  else  is  art  but  a  constant  endeavor 
to  do  this  very  thing,  to  express  beauty  through 
limitations,  and  to  do  so  with  felicity  ? 

There  is  a  last  word  I  would  like  to  say  about 
requirements.  It  seems  to  me  that  were  the  subject 
understood  better,  envy  of  one's  neighbors  would 
disappear,  and  the  idle  striving  to  imitate  or  outdo 
his  splendor.  We  would  understand  that  to  the 
householder  of  conspicuous  possession,  fine  apart- 
ments were  a  necessity,  as  they  would  not  be  to 
those  in  humbler  places.  Moreover,  our  feelings 
would  not  be  so  easily  injured,  since  an  understand- 
ing of  requirements  would  quicken  our  understand- 
ing of  the  many  differences  of  condition  in  life. 


Tfn.a    ColoTual  ^fea  Service    of  SUVCP. 
"Date  1798  . 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   II 

THE    METHOD    OF    PROCEDURE 

IN  planning  or  furnishing  a  dwelling,  whatever  or 
wherever  it  may  be,  you  must  be  governed  by 
three  considerations,  —  what  you  want,  what  you 
need,  what  you  can  have. 

I  have  put  these  considerations  in  what  seems  to 
me  their  rightful  order,  because,  in  every  departure 
that  is  made,  each  person  begins  by  wanting  certain 
things,  which  is  quite  different  from  needing  them, 
and  altogether  different  from  being  able  to  possess 
them.  Your  wants  may  be  legitimate  and  rational, 
or  selfish  and  vain,  but  whatever  they  are,  they 
express  you.  If  they  express  the  best  in  you,  you 
should  strive  to  let  them  guide  you  even  when  sat- 
isfying only  your  needs.  Your  needs,  however,  will 
vary  according  to  your  environment,  your  occupa- 
tion, or  profession,  the  place  which  you  occupy  in 
the  world,  and  ultimately  the  amount  of  money 
which  you  are  able  to  expend. 

The  question  of  requirements  discussed  in  the 
previous  chapter,  then,  must  govern  you  in  your 
choice  of  a  dwelling-place.  But  that  choice  made, 
and  a  habitation  provided,  you  are  at  once  con- 
fronted with  the  problem  of  how  to  furnish  and 
appoint  the  hall-ways  and  rooms  of  your  house. 

21 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

As  no  man  can  live  without  eating  and  sleeping, 
the  logical  order  of  furnishing  would  compel  you  to 
begin  with  those  departments  in  which  provision  is 
made  for  bodily  necessities.  All  that  follows  after- 
ward in  the  appointing  of  the  home  must  take 
cognizance  of  your  mental  and  moral  needs,  intel- 
lectual and  artistic  sympathies,  and  of  those  partic- 
ular tastes  and  accomplishments  which  have  been 
developed  in  special  directions.  This  is  as  it  should 
be,  since  the  whole  purpose  of  life  is  growth.  Bed- 
rooms, kitchens,  and  dining-rooms  are  arranged 
first,  that  growth  may  take  place  in  one  essential 
direction,  and  make  for  the  increase  of  the  mental 
and  physical  strength  upon  which  rests  the  foun- 
dation of  success.  Drawing-rooms,  libraries,  and 
music-rooms,  on  the  other  hand,  provide  for  a  dif- 
ferent order  of  necessities.  Development  here  takes 
place  in  the  graces  and  amenities  of  life,  in  an  ap- 
preciation of  the  arts.  This  is  really  the  reason 
why  the  walls  of  your  dining-room  may  be  treated 
in  one  way,  and  the  walls  of  a  living-room  or  a 
parlor  in  another.  The  dining-room  is  a  place  for 
eating.  Its  purpose  is  defined.  But  the  living-room, 
or  the  one  parlor,  is  a  place  for  recreation,  where 
new  interests  are,  or  should  be,  introduced  con- 
stantly —  new  books,  new  pictures,  new  pieces  of 
furniture,  perhaps,  and  certainly,  if  there  are  young 
people,  new  amusements  and  pleasures.  A  wall- 
paper of  pronounced  and  obtrusive  character,  then, 
is  undesirable  in  a  family  living-room.  Its  tend- 
ency would  be  to  keep  everything  about  it  bound 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


down  to  its  level.  A  beautiful  and  artistic  wall- 
hanging  might  represent  a  selection  as  unfortunate,  if 
it  brought  the  room  up  to  so  high  a  key  that  nothing 


of  homelier  interest 
ther  a  lady's  work-bag, 
book  —  without  de 
Neither  a  family  liv 
mistress  should  have 
delicate  a  nature  that 
day  interests  jar.  Nei 
fair  and  good  for  hu 
food." 

A  A** 


could  appear  —  nei- 
nor  a  paper-bound 
stroying  the  scheme, 
ing-room  nor  its 
sensibilities  of  so 
the  ordinary  every- 
ther  should  be  "  too 
man  nature's  daily 


Peirfiuta . 

'       0       s 


23 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


If  you  have  but  one  room  for  recreation,  never 
furnish  it  when  beginning  your  housekeeping.  In 
so  doing  you  may  find  yourself  perpetually  cramped 


W 


claair    of.  oaW(alIttxecV 
u»cd  also    w'dftout*  "H^e    back. 

by  some  early  expression  of  yourself,  from  which 
you  would  find  it  as  difficult  to  grow  away,  as  men 
find  it  difficult  to  escape  the  records  of  a  youthful 
misdemeanor.  A  parlor  with  a  flowered  carpet, 
white  lace  curtains  falling  straight,  shining  green 

24 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

wall-paper  with  pink  roses,  and  —  (that  pride  of 
some  purchasers)  a  whole  suit  of  furniture  made  of 
a  tufted  cotton-back  satin ;  here  and  there  about 
the  room,  perhaps,  a  gilt  chair  or  table  with  brass 
legs,  or  a  marble-top  table  —  such  a  parlor  would 
mean  for  you  a  place  from  which  there  could  be  no 
escape,  no  chance  of  rising  to  better  things,  no  op- 
portunity for  expansion.  Its  case  would  be  hope- 
less. Nothing  could  be  done  with  it  without  a 
revolution,  a  complete  overthrow,  a  getting  back  to 
first  principles.  If  a  man  must  wax  in  strength 
and  stature,  some  chance  must  be  left  him  in  which 
to  expand.  "  What  are  you  looking  for? "  said  the 
lady  of  the  house  to  a  friend,  who^  instead  of  ad- 
miring a  room  crowded  with  beautiful  things,  stood 
silently  gazing  about  her.  "  A  place  for  your  soul 
to  grow  in,"  was  the  answer. 

If  in  building  you  intend  to  reproduce  a  given 
period,  consultation  with  a  good  designer  is  im- 
perative. He  will  tell  you  what  the  proportions 
of  your  room  should  be  —  decide  the  height  of 
your  doors  and  windows,  the  character  of  your  fire- 
place, and  the  special  treatment  of  your  wall-surface 
and  ceiling.  "  Decoration  is  always  subservient  to 
proportion,"  says  a  writer  on  the  subject,  "  and  a 
room,  whatever  its  decoration  may  be>  must  repre- 
sent the  style  to  which  its  proportions  belong. 
The  less  cannot  include  the  greater.  Unfortu- 
nately, it  is  usually  by  ornamental  details,  rather 
than  by  proportion,  that  people  distinguish  one 
style  from  another.  To  many  persons,  garlands, 

25 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

bow-knots,  quivers,  and  a  great  deal  of  gilding  rep- 
resent the  Louis  XVI  style;  if  they  object  to  these, 
they  condemn  the  style.  To  an  architect  familiar 
with  the  subject,  the  same  style  means  something 
absolutely  different.  He  knows  that  a  Louis  XVI 
room  may  exist  without  any  of  these,  and  he  often 
deprecates  them  as  representing  the  cheaper  and 
more  trivial  effects  of  the  period  —  those  that  have 
most  helped  to  vulgarize  it.  In  nine  cases  out  of 
ten  his  use  of  them  is  a  concession  to  the  client 
who,  having  asked  for  a  Louis  XVI  room,  would 
not  know  he  had  got  it  with  these  details  left  out." 

The  simple  possession  of  some  Louis  XVI  hang- 
ings, therefore,  js  not  sufficient  to  give  you  a  Louis 
XVI  room.  Nor  can  an  Empire  curtain,  sofas,  and 
chairs  transform  the  parlor  of  an  ordinary  city  house 
into  a  room  of  the  Napoleonic  period.  Neither  can 
the  presence  of  a  few  heavy  draperies,  low  tables, 
perforated  brass  vases,  and  lamps  make  for  an 
American  house  a  Turkish  interior.  I  wish  the 
attempt  were  not  so  often  made.  There  are,  to  be 
sure,  certain  studios,  boys'  rooms,  and  dens,  into 
which  these  materials  may  be  introduced  with  pro- 
priety ;  but  when  finished  these  rooms  should  sug- 
gest unpretentious  motives. 

If  you  have  made  no  study  of  decoration,  you 
should  have  confidence  in  your  architect.  To 
hamper  him  with  your  little  insistences,  demanding 
that  he  use  certain  possessions  for  which  you  may 
have  a  sentiment,  but  which  do  not  belong  to  the 
period,  is  to  handicap  him  at  every  turn.  But  if 

26 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

you  have  made  a  study  of  the  subject  and  your 
tastes  and  sympathies  are  thoroughly  established, 
then  you  and  your  architect  can  work  together. 
Upon  you  in  such  cases  depends  the  ultimate  selec- 
tion of  designs,  the  details  of  cornice  and  ceiling, 
of  materials  and  colors,  which  he  submits  for  your 
approval.  To  you,  too,  may  fall  the  choice  of  the 
various  stuffs  and  hangings.  When  such  a  respon- 
sibility is  yours,  try  first  to  secure  the  genuine  arti- 
cles ;  failing  these,  select  designs  copied  from  the 
best  examples  of  the  proper  period,  but  never  rest 
content  with  a  search  through  modern  shops  and 
a  purchase  of  those  imitations  of  particular  periods 
with  which  the  manufacturers  have  filled  the  market. 
Books  giving  complete,  carefully  illustrated  descrip- 
tions of  the  architectural  details  of  the  decorations 
and  furniture  of  each  different  period  are  to  be  had. 
You  should  study  these,  even  if  you  have  travelled 
and  observed  extensively.  For  if  the  privilege  of 
following  your  own  taste  be  yours,  in  the  building 
of  a  house  possessing  architectural  excellence  your 
obligation  is  great.  The  work  should  be  under- 
taken seriously  ;  intrusted  to  hands  not  only  capable 
of  carrying  your  ideas  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion, 
but  of  guiding  you  to  a  perception  of  still  better 
things.  Yours  is  not  a  privilege  to  be  regarded 
lightly.  If  your  house  be  beautiful,  you  have  made 
a  contribution  to  the  world. 

Most  of  us  must  inhabit  houses  already  modelled 
on  prescribed  lines,  until  we  have  in  town  a  dreary 
monotony  of  brown  stone  fronts  and  unbroken 

27 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

wall  surfaces,  and  in  country  districts  the  hopeless- 
ness of  narrow  halls  and  stairs,  front  and  back 
parlors  exactly  alike,  and  bedrooms  above,  with 
mantel  shelves  over  hot-air  registers. 

The  simplest  form  of  wall-surface,  the  one  often 
suggested  as  a  problem  in  decoration,  is  that  left  by 
the  builder  as  a  plain  surface  of  plaster  or  cement 
filling  the  places  between  the  doors,  windows,  and 
fireplace.  It  can  be  treated  exactly  as  the  judgment 
of  the  owner  dictates.  It  can  be  painted,  white- 
washed, calcimined,  covered  with  paper  or  with  a 
textile,  —  burlaps,  silks,  cretonnes,  or  tapestry.  It 
can  be  panelled  in  wood,  covered  with  leather  or 
marble,  or  hung  with  silks  and  embroideries.  Each 
individual  decides  these  questions  according  to  her 
means  and  the  use  for  which  she  wishes  the  room. 
In  one  intended  for  pictures  she  wants  no  distrac- 
tions on  the  wall  in  the  way  of  flowers,  strong  colors, 
or  obtrusive  designs.  If  a  picture  is  worthy  at  all 
of  a  place  on  the  walls,  it  should  be  spared  the 
affront  of  discordant  surroundings.  The  owner  of 
"  A  Dutch  Tulip  Garden  "  would  be  guilty  of  an 
unpardonable  crime  were  she  to  hang  it  over  paper 
already  covered  with  tulips,  good  as  that  tulip  paper 
might  be  ;  or  to  hang  a  Venetian  sketch  with  its 
delicacy  and  transparency  of  tone  —  or  a  picture  of 
Bermuda  with  pale  colored  skies  and  whitewashed 
houses  —  on  vivid  crimson  or  blue  papers.  Yet  the 
same  sort  of  folly  is  being  committed  every  day  by 
people  who  cover  their  walls  with  flowered  papers 
and  sketches  in  water-colors. 

28 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


In  any  room  intended  for  reading  and  study, 
walls  covered  with  blossoms,  or  intricate,  over-ac- 
centuated designs,  are  dis- 
tracting  and  unsatisfactory. 
Books  are  in  themselves  a 
decoration.  The  colors  of 
their  bindings, — reds,  greens, 
blues,  and  gold,  —  broken  by 
the  tawny  hue  of  old  calf, 
have  richness  of  tone.  In 
those  libraries  in  which  the 
shelves  do  not  run  to  the 
ceiling,  a  plain  background 
above  the  shelves  is  a  neces- 
sity, primarily  on  account  of 
the  books,  but  also  as  a 
background  for  the  busts, 
pictures,  or  casts  which  you 
may  also  introduce.  In  liv- 
ing-rooms and  parlors,  where 
pictures,  brasses,  and  pottery 
are  introduced,  an  unobtru- 
sive wall  color  is  a  necessity. 

In  dining-rooms  the  ques- 
tion of  a  background  for  the 
objects  on  the  walls  need 
not  be  so  carefully  consid-  Adam.  6««-fc'nr 
ered.  A  dining-room  may 
be  well  appointed  with  nothing  displayed  in  it  but 
the  glass  and  silver.  In  bedrooms,  light-flowered 
or  striped  papers,  with  colors  suggesting  bright- 

29 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ness,  repose,  and  daintiness,  are  of  paramount  im- 
portance. 

In  a  room  that  is  long  and  narrow,  a  large-figured 
or  flowered  paper  only  accentuates  the  length,  until 
the  room  is  made  to  look  like  the  inside  of  a  cable- 
car.  Treat  it  with  vertical  stripes  of  two  tones  softly 
merging  into  each  other.  A  flowered  or  figured 
material  over  the  windows  at  the  end  will  shorten 
the  room,  bringing  the  most  distant  point  nearer 
to  you.  If  you  are  committed  to  a  large-flowered 
paper,  plain  hangings  of  quiet  tone  should  be  put 
over  the  windows  at  the  end.  When  the  end  of 
the  room  is  occupied  by  a  blank  wall-space,  a  mir- 
ror, with  plants  arranged  as  a  foreground,  answers  a 
good  purpose,  provided  the  reflections  in  the  mirror 
are  studied  and  the  end  of  the  room  brought  nearer, 
the  eye  not  being  enticed  to  a  greater  distance. 

The  wood-work  of  a  room  —  the  door  and  win- 
dow casings,  the  base,  even  the  picture-moulding  — 
must  be  considered  in  relation  to  the  covering  to  be 
chosen  for  the  walls.  If  on  moving  into  a  house 
you  are  committed  to  one  kind  of  wood-work  (some 
landlords  will  permit  none  of  theirs  to  be  changed), 
select  your  paper  with  reference  to  it.  Red,  for  in- 
stance, may  do  very  well  if  the  wood  be  white,  but 
it  is  out  of  the  question  with  Jight  oak.  On  the 
other  hand,  white  wood-work  may  be  an  impossibil- 
ity with  red,  or  any  dark  paper,  because  its  lines 
may  be  bad.  A  dark  paper  would  throw  it  into  too 
strong  relief,  making  a  series  of  broken  and  distract- 
ing streaks  distributed  without  grace  or  symmetry. 

30 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

If  so  situated,  your  business  should  be  to  subdue 
the  unfortunate  conditions,  so  that  they  may  be  for- 
gotten. If  the  house  were  yours,  you  might  do 
this  by  painting  the  wood-work  to  match  the  walls, 
or  a  shade  darker.  You  cannot  do  this  if  the  paper 
be  red.  Red  wood-work  and  paper  combined  would 
be  heavy.  When  a  red  paper  is  desired,  the  trim, 
of  course,  might  be  scraped  and  stained,  —  so  ex- 
pensive an  operation  that  perhaps  a  wiser  course 
would  be  to  choose  a  different  color.  Always  bear 
in  mind,  however,  that  the  wood-work  frames  the 
wall-covering,  and  that  its  color  must  never  be 
ignored.  It  often  happens,  unfortunately,  that  the 
wall-space  is  divided  by  a  series  of  doors  and  win- 
dows distributed  without  regard  to  symmetry  01 
proportion.  Thus,  there  may  be  at  times  many 
doors  and  a  single  window  in  a  room,  these  open- 
ings having  been  managed  awkwardly  when  addi- 
tions were  made  to  the  house.  Doors  and  windows 
in  a  room  are  often  an  advantage  in  breaking  up 
the  lines  of  a  long  bare  wall,  if  the  composition  of 
the  sides  of  the  room  is  well  studied.  An  ingenious 
treatment  of  superfluous  doors  in  an  apartment  — 
doors  which  mean  nothing  because  unused  —  will 
be  found  in  illustration  on  page  31,  where  old  India 
shawls  have  been  hung  as  backgrounds  for  plaster 
casts  or  brasses  and  coppers.  A  mirror  is  always 
effective.  Mirrors  have  been  almost  universally 
adopted  as  a  means  of  improving  rooms  of  small 
size,  where  the  need  of  suggesting  at  least  greater 
breathing  space  is  imperative.  Palms  may  be 

31 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

grouped  in  front  of  them,  and  sofas  so  arranged  that 
no  one  thinks  of  them,  but  is  unconsciously  satis- 
fied with  the  feeling  of  space. 

On  no  account  commit  yourself  to  a  wall-paper 
until  you  have  brought  home  a  generous  sample 
and  have  lived  with  it  in  your  house  for  several 
days.  Hang  it  up  and  study  it  from  several  points 
of  view ;  turn  away  and  forget  it,  then  turn  round 
again  suddenly  and  see  how  its  color  and  design  im- 
press you,  —  whether  pleasantly  or  with  a  shock  ; 
put  two  widths  together  and  notice  how  the  pattern 
repeats ;  try  it  back  of  your  sofas  and  pictures ;  see 
it  in  daylight  and  at  night.  It  may  have  seemed  to 
you  delightful  when  hanging  in  the  shop,  and  yet 
prove  itself  to  be  the  most  uncomfortable  of  com- 
panions at  home ;  like  some  acquaintance  made  in 
summer,  —  charming  enough  on  a  hotel  piazza.,  or 
on  his  native  heath  —  altogether  intolerable  upon 
longer  and  more  intimate  acquaintance. 

And  this  brings  me  to  another  point,  —  one  to 
be  still  more  strongly  urged.  Before  beginning  a 
hunt  for  papers,  save  yourself  trouble  by  making  a 
list  and  entering  on  it  the  things  which  you  should 
avoid. 

At  the  head  of  this  list  place  papers  with  gilt 
figures ;  until  they  have  been  tried  no  one  can 
know  the  agonies  they  are  capable  of  inspiring. 
They  are  one  thing  to-day  and  another  to-morrow. 
They  have  no  stability,  no  surety.  They  are  for- 
ever deceiving  you.  They  are  bright  and  promis- 
ing in  one  light,  gloomy  and  repellant  in  another. 

32 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

They  have  no  repose ;  they  permit  none.  You 
may  arrange  a  corner  carefully,  having  reference  to 
such  a  paper  as  its  background.  Change  your  seat 
and  look  at  your  corner  from  another  side.  Every- 
thing is  wrong ! 

Put  second  on  your  list  a  paper  with  a  shin- 
ing, smooth  surface.  It  can  be  as  bad  as  a  pol- 
ished tin.  It  holds  no  light,  softens  no  reflection, 
takes  on  no  tone :  it  is  hard  and  repellent  always. 

Next  on  your  "  Index  Purgatorium  "  put  the 
ordinary  frieze  that  repeats  a  paper  in  color  and 
design,  then  straggles  off  into  lighter  tones  above. 
This  frieze,  you  may  be  sure,  is  bad.  You  want 
none  of  it.  You  can  run  your  paper  up  to  your 
ceiling,  if  you  desire,  or  bring  your  ceiling  down  to 
it.  The  every-day  frieze  is  a  mistake ;  is  indeed 
no  longer  used  by  the  best  decorators. 

I  speak  in  no  language  of  exaggeration  when  I 
say  that  my  heart  has  often  ached  for  women  in 
different  parts  of  the  country  who  have  sent  me 
samples  of  the  paper  chosen  for  their  walls,  their 
frieze,  and  their  ceilings.  With  what  pride  these 
samples  have  been  submitted  at  times  !  And  how 
impossible  they  have  proved  to  be,  although  their 
purchasers  have  been  assured  they  all  "  went  well 
together."  It  used  to  take  every  bit  of  my  cour- 
age to  declare  against  them.  Now  and  then,  how- 
ever, a  woman  would  write  to  me  that  she  was  in 
despair.  "  It  all  sounded  so  well,  this  particular 
combination,"  she  would  say  in  her  letter,  "  but 
now  that  the  papers  are  hung  I  cannot  bear  to  go 
3  33 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


into  the  room.  My  husband  and  I  keep  the  door 
shut.  What  shall  we  do  to  make  the  room  bear- 
able ?  "  And  I  would  unfold  her  samples,  spread 
them  out  before  me,  and  not  wonder  at  her  suffer- 
ing ;  indeed,  I  have  generally  found  my  respect 
grow  for  the  woman,  and  for  the  hus- 
band capable  of  sympathizing  with 
her  mistake.  "  The  mark  of  rank 
in  nature  "  is  certainly  the  "capacity 
for  pain."  Her  pain  proved  her  ex- 
cellence. There  is  always  hope  for 
those  like  her :  I  have  tested  and 
llfihllV  tried,  but  never  found  them  want- 
'li"''luy'^Hv  ing,  even  when  I  counselled  new 
^1  •  ^  papers,  going  without  a  dinner  or 
I  1  1  two,  if  necessary,  in  order  to  pay  for 
them.  None  of  those  truly  craving 
the  beautiful  are  unwilling  to  deny 
themselves  to  attain  it ;  to  starve 
gracefully  and  cheerfully  and  silently  —  exulting  in 
the  possession  of  the  beauty  gained.  Many  a  meal 
the  impecunious  book-lover  denies  himself  to  de- 
fray the  cost  of  a  special  volume ;  many  a  luncheon 
the  restricted  home-lover  goes  without  to  pay  for  a 
beautiful  hanging  or  a  bit  of  old  mahogany  that  will 
add  gladness  to  her  days.  Many  a  shabby  hat  has 
been  worn  to  gain  the  price  of  a  new  sofa  cushion. 
And  this  is  as  it  should  be,  and  not  foolish.  In  our 
homes  we  work  for  more  than  ephemeral  pleasures. 
We  must  remember  that  as  the  color-schemes  of 
individual  rooms  are  studied,  so  those  of  whole 

34 


Hepplewbite  Chair 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

houses  must  be  studied  in  relation  to  each  other, 
that  one  room  need  not  be  thrown  out  of  harmony 
with  another.  Thus  in  a  certain  country  house  the 
owner  determined  to  permit  no  paper  or  picture 
that  did  not  express  a  feeling  for  nature,  and  no 
appointment  that  suggested  care.  Her  house  is 
green  and  white  throughout,  but  the  green  of  each 
room  is  the  green  of  some  tree  or  some  bush. 
Even  her  lamp-shades  show  green  on  a  white 
ground.  In  one  case,  for  instance,  the  green  of 
the  pine-tree  enters  in  as  a  design  of  needles  and 
cones  on  the  shade.  No  pictures  are  permitted  in 
certain  rooms  that  do  not  suggest  forest  interiors. 
The  effect  is  by  no  means  monotonous,  but  cool 
and  refreshing,  and  she  has  surrounded  herself 
with  a  delightfully  original  expression  of  her  own 
individuality. 

Cartridge  papers,  with  their  uneven  surfaces 
which  break  the  light,  have  stood  the  test  of  many 
experiments.  Improved  examples  of  this  paper 
are  made.  In  a  more  expensive  material  nothing 
in  the  way  of  a  wall-covering  has  yet  been  manu- 
factured so  satisfactory  for  a  variety  of  purposes 
as  a  burlaps.  It  adapts  itself  to  so  many  different 
conditions.  Architects  use  it  as  a  background  for 
the  finest  tapestries.  It  appears  in  beautiful  libra- 
ries ;  it  is  congenial  in  simple  surroundings.  It 
fades  delightfully.  It  never  annoys  you  by  the 
reflection  for  which  you  have  not  asked.  It  can 
be  painted,  stained,  or  treated  with  a  wash  of 
gold.  It  is  easily  kept  clean  with  a  wet  rag  and 

35 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ammonia.  Moreover,  —  and  this  really  recom- 
mends it  most  highly,  —  it  comes  in  good  colors, 
the  manufacturers  having  devoted  much  attention 
to  the  subject ;  though  more  expensive  than  ordi- 
nary papers,  it  lasts  longer. 

Burlaps  is  put  on  like  paper.  Denim  can  be 
put  on  in  the  same  way.  When  cretonnes,  bro- 
cades, and  costly  stuffs  are  used,  the  habit  is  to 
employ  fine,  invisible  brass  nails,  which  are  after- 
wards concealed  by  a  gimp.  When  woods  are 
employed  on  a  wall  the  services  of  a  carpenter 
are  necessary.  He  can  at  any  time  ceil  an  ordi- 
nary room  with  pine,  walls  and  ceiling  alike. 
Rooms  treated  in  this  way  are  especially  desirable 
in  camps,  in  cabins,  or  in  simple  country-house 
dining-rooms  and  bedrooms ;  those,  for  instance, 
built  in  out-of-the  way  places,  where  the  house- 
holder wants  to  save  herself  the  trouble  of  papers. 
The  soft  browns  and  yellows  of  the  grain  of 
the  wood  are  agreeable,  lending  themselves  to  a 
variety  of  hangings.  It  can  be  stained  if  desired. 
Sometimes,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  it  can  be  made 
to  stop  a  foot  or  so  below  the  ceiling,  the  frieze 
being  filled  with  a  piece  of  chintz  or  calico.  I 
know  a  young  girl's  bedroom  so  treated  in  the 
Catskills.  She  repeated  the  chintz  of  her  frieze  in 
the  hangings  of  her  bed,  on  the  covers  of  her  low 
window-seats,  and  again  in  her  curtains.  Their 
colors  were  charming  with  the  simple,  unpainted 
pine. 

A  carpenter  can  make  a  wainscoting  which  may 

36 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

be  painted  white  or  stained.  When  wood  is  impos- 
sible, a  dado  of  some  stuff,  or  burlaps,  or  velours, 
may,  in  ordinary  houses,  take  the  place  of  the  wood. 
The  object  of  either  is  twofold,  — to  lift  the  wall- 
decoration  to  a  level  with  the  eye,  and  to  form  a 
background  for  the  pieces  of  furniture  placed  against 
it.  Nothing,  for  instance,  is  so  ugly  as  a  long, 
narrow  room  with  a  very  light  paper  running  down 
to  the  base-board,  while  against  this  paper  and  all 
around  the  room  pieces  of  dark  furniture  are  shown, 
—  tables  and  chairs  with  slim  legs.  One  is  always 
seeing  the  light  walls  between  the  legs.  The  eye  is 
distracted,  whereas  the  object  should  be  to  leave 
the  eye  free  to  rest  upon  or  to  follow  the  wall- 
decorations  above,  —  the  pictures  or  bronzes.  Low 
bookcases  running  around  a  room  serve  the  same 
purpose,  and  like  a  wainscoting  or  a  dado,  keep  the 
lower  part  of  the  room  as  it  should  be  kept,  in  a 
lower  key. 

When  costly  woods  are  employed  on  a  wall,  or 
when  marbles  appear,  an  architect  or  designer  must 
be  consulted.  The  woods  generally  used  are  French 
walnut,  mahogany,  chestnut,  oak,  brown  ash,  Cali- 
fornia redwood.  These  woods  may  appear  as  a 
wainscoting,  be  made  to  run  all  the  way  to  the 
ceiling,  or,  stopping  a  few  feet  below,  be  finished 
with  a  shelf  or  moulding  under  a  frieze  of  plaster, 
Spanish  leather,  tapestry,  stucco,  silk,  or  occasionally 
a  piece  of  cretonne  of  particularly  good  color  or 
design.  When  wood  is  put  to  other  uses  and 
elaborate  designs  are  followed  for  the  inlay  of 

37 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

mirrors,  tapestry,  silk,  or  brocades,  the  whole  room 
must  be  carefully  designed,  and  by  an  artist.  A 
room,  so  treated,  is  of  itself  the  finished  whole. 
No  liberties  should  be  taken  with  it.  No  pictures 
should  be  hung  on  its  walls  at  the  whim  of  the 
householder,  and  never  unless  a  space  has  been 
specially  created  for  such  a  purpose  by  the  archi- 
tect, and  the  design  of  the  wood  or  stucco  has 
been  made  to  form  the  frame  of  that  which  is 
to  be  placed  in  it. 

The  every-day  householder  should  attempt  no 
elaborations  of  her  ceilings.  When  she  desires 
beams  or  panels,  or  stucco  on  her  ceiling,  she 
should  seek  the  guidance  of  a  well-trained  designer. 
Had  builders  and  contractors  been  as  careful,  we 
might  have  been  spared  the  horror  of  many  a  ceiling 
in  the  old-fashioned  houses,  —  coves,  cornices,  and 
ornate  plaster  scrolls  treated  with  applications  of  fan- 
tastic tints.  A  misunderstanding  of  this  subject,  in- 
deed, swept  a  generation  of  moneyed  people  off 
their  feet,  leaving  us  to  deplore  the  results  which 
still  afflict  us  long  after  their  perpetrators  are  dead 
and  gone.  One  man  had  his  ceilings  painted  to  re- 
produce the  floral  designs  of  his  carpet,  so  that  one 
walked  through  his  rooms  with  a  dizzying  sense  of 
being  suspended  in  mid-air,  flowers  above  and  flow- 
ers below,  or,  worse  still,  of  not  knowing  whether 
one  were  walking  quite  in  the  proper  place  —  every- 
thing seemed  topsy-turvy.  Another  man  painted 
his  ceiling  to  look  like  "  the  blue  vault  on  high  " 
—  the  blue  solid  and  studded  with  gilt  stars. 

38 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Many  years  are  required  for  a  recovery  from  evil 
examples  like  these,  especially  when  they  have  been 
all  about  us.  Bad  colors,  proportions  which  defy 
every  law  of  grace  or  beauty,  over-elaboration  of 
the  trivial,  if  they  have  been  part  of  the  environ- 
ment in  which  we  have  been  born  and  bred,  come 
to  be  accepted  as  our  standard.  Time  seems  to 
have  sanctioned  their  use,  the  approval  of  our  an- 
cestors has  given  them  weight  and  value.  A  more 
enlightened  generation  suffers  and  questions,  but 
only  a  revolutionist  or  a  prophet  can  bring  about  a 
new  order.  For  this  reason  we  have  considered 
stucco  and  stencilled  ceilings  a  necessity,  and  have 
been  long  discovering  the  beauty  of  simplicity  in 
contrast  to  elaborations  not  directed  by  an  expe- 
rienced touch. 

The  ceilings  of  an  ordinary  country  or  town 
house  should  be  treated  with  great  discretion ; 
never  trusted  to  a  painter  who  will  insist  on  some 
stencilled  design  for  which  he  has  a  partiality.  If 
the  ceiling  is  low,  the  effect  of  such  a  design  is  of 
something  pressing  down  on  the  head.  The  ordi- 
nary ceiling  ought  never  to  be  accentuated.  When 
both  the  walls  and  the  wood-work  of  the  room  are 
of  one  tone  —  a  green,  for  instance  —  the  ceiling 
should  be  slightly  tinted  with  green,  but  merely 
enough  of  it  used  to  carry  the  tone  away  from  the 
white.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  walls  are  green 
and  the  wood-work  is  white,  then  the  ceiling  should 
be  white.  Height  is  diminished  by  bringing  the 
ceiling  color  down  to  the  picture-moulding.  The 

39 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ceiling  can  then  be  finished  with  a  wash  or  covered 
with  a  paper.  In  some  rooms  a  flowered  paper  is 
used  in  this  way,  the  color  of  the  paper  below  re- 
peating that  of  some  detail  in  the  ceiling-paper. 
This  treatment  is  best  suited  to  bedrooms,  bath- 
rooms, and  parlors.  A  paper  showing  flowers  or 
foliage  too  heavily  massed,  without  space  between, 
is  not  desirable.  The  idea  is  to  produce  the  im- 
pression of  an  arbor  with  vines  interlaced  overhead. 
A  flowered  paper  of  conventional  design  can  be 
used  on  the  ceiling  where  a  decoration  of  bands  or 
figures  would  be  impossible.  The  flowers  would 
give  an  idea  of  space  overhead,  while  the  stencilled 
design  would  tend  to  oppress  you  as  though  a  box- 
cover  had  been  put  over  your  head. 

When  the  room  is  ready  for  the  furniture  and 
hangings,  all  the  tact  of  the  householder  will  be 
required.  She  must  never  be  impatient  of  results 
nor  think  that  she  has  attained  her  object  with  a 
first  trial.  She  must  live  in  a  room  to  make  it 
thoroughly  habitable,  live  there  in  imagination  as- 
well  as  in  person.  She  must  shift  her  furniture 
about,  try  it  in  this  place  and  that,  and  never  rest 
until  she  is  satisfied.  When  a  room  is  small  she  must 
strive  for  compactness ;  when  it  is  large,  for  comfort 
—  but  whatever  she  does  she  must  not  only  work  with 
a  reason  for  each  act  and  selection  she  may  make, 
but  she  must  be  able  to  prove  her  reason  for  every 
move.  She  must,  too,  interest  herself  constantly 
with  a  question  of  vistas,  until  the  various  openings 
from  her  rooms  frame  a  series  of  pictures.  To  do 

40 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


TWid-n.    9or     door    Grille 

A^orfsd    Trom.  avx 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

this  she  must  sit  in  different  parts  of  a  room  and 
study  effects  through  open  doorways,  or  at  the 
end  of  some  line  of  division.  If  a  mirror  is  hung, 
the  mirror  must  be  full  of  pleasant  reflections.  Just 
as  the  French  in  the  country  put  statues  at  the 
end  of  avenues  so  that  the  eye  may  be  carried  to 
something  which  will  make  an  agreeable  resting- 
place,  she  must  see  to  it  that  in  her  house  the 
vision  is  led  to  nothing  suggesting  discomfort  or 
unpleasantness.  I  was  once  in  a  house  in  which 
several  rooms  opened  out  of  each  other.  The 
colors  were  charming,  the  arrangement  tactful  and 
agreeable,  except  for  one  blot.  In  an  angle  near 
the  doorway  of  the  farthest  room,  a  large  blue  jar, 
in  perfect  harmony  with  the  room  in  which  it  was 
placed,  formed  a  discordant  note  with  the  lovely 
color  combinations  of  the  intervening  chambers.  As 
this  blue  jar  was  at  the  end  of  the  line  of  vision,  I 
could  see  nothing  else,  and  still  more  unfortunately, 
when  I  turned  away  I  could  remember  nothing  else 
—  none  of  the  lovely  carvings,  none  of  the  hang- 
ings —  only  that  miserable  blue  jar  at  the  end  of 
the  vista. 

What  I  have  said  in  this  chapter  by  way  of 
counsel  will  fail  to  help  the  individual  if  she  is 
reluctant  to  discard  superfluous  things,  not  only 
when  arranging  a  house  for  the  first  time,  but  as 
she  lives  in  it  from  day  to  day.  Every  house,  how- 
ever humble,  however  exalted  above  its  surround- 
ings, ought  to  be  provided  with  some  closet,  or  chest 
of  drawers,  or  store-room,  some  one  receptacle  large 

42 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

enough  to  hold  all  that  is  ugly  and  superfluous, 
everything  that  is  out  of  key,  and  everything  that 
is  jarring.  Things  of  this  character  may  come  as 
heirlooms,  as  Christmas  presents,  as  tokens  of  de- 
voted attachment  from  friends  who  have  no  under- 
standing of  beauty,  of  propriety,  or  of  the  proper 
relations  of  one  object  to  another.  Rubbish  of  this 
sort  must  not  be  permitted  to  remain.  A  celebrated 
sculptor  used  to  make  it  a  rule  every  Sunday  morn- 
ing to  go  about  his  house  and  get  rid  of  the  unnec- 
essary and  the  out-of-key.  He  regarded  his  house 
as  an  artist  his  work,  as  we  should  all  regard  what- 
ever object  we  undertake  to  perfect,  never  failing  in 
a  ceaseless  vigilance,  nor  a  constant  going  back  to 
old  ideals,  first  impressions,  the  better  to  perfect 
their  expression. 

The  injured  feelings  of  our  dear  ones  may  have 
to  be  considered  in  this  heroic  performance.  Sen- 
timent hampers  us  in  our  effort  to  attain  true  excel- 
lence in  decoration;  we  must  not  allow  ourselves  to 
be  influenced.  To  cast  out  all  offending  matter, 
should  be  the  rule,  before  we  have  a  chance  to  be 
reconciled  to  it  or  are  beguiled  into  building  upon 
bad  foundations. 

I  am  tempted  to  quote  a  letter  of  advice  written 
by  a  woman  who  had  succeeded  in  making  her 
home  beautiful.  Her  method  of  procedure  is  one 
which  other  women  might  adopt  to  advantage. 

"  You  ask  me  how  I  went  to  work.  I  began  by 
loving  and  longing  for  a  home  with  an  eagerness 
I  cannot  describe,  and  I  wanted  that  home  to  be  to 

43 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

those  whom  I  welcomed  to  it  not  only  a  refuge,  but 
a  rest,  a  refreshment,  a  delight.  I  had  all  this  in 
the  home  in  which  I  lived  as  a  young  person.  I 
took  for  granted  such  a  place  was  easy  to  make 
when  I  began.  But !  —  Mine  used  to  look  so 
lonely,  in  the  first  place.  None  of  the  things  I  put 
in  it  seemed  right.  I  welcomed  my  guests,  but  I 
felt  their  discomfort.  I  saw  when  lights  in  their 
eyes  bothered  them.  I  took  the  chairs  they  vacated 
when  they  left,  and  saw  what  ugly  vistas  another 
room  presented.  I  had  a  hideous  gilt  paper  on  my 
wall  that  my  landlord  would  not  change.  Every- 
thing showed  badly  against  it.  So  I  began  to  study 
into  the  question.  I  threw  away  ruthlessly  all  the 
things  which  I  knew  were  bad,  but  to  which  I  had 
accustomed  myself.  I  said  I  would  have  empty 
rooms  rather  than  hideous  ones.  The  great  secret 
of  growth  is  to  rid  one's  self  of  things  which  by- 
and-by  are  going  to  contaminate  one's  taste.  It  is 
like  plucking  out  the  eye  that  offends  you.  I  used 
to  go  about  studying  every  house  I  saw.  If  I  saw 
anything  that  grated  on  me,  I  tried  to  think  why  it 
was,  and  then  I  avoided  it  in  mine.  If  I  found 
something  good,  and  it  was  appropriate  to  my  sur- 
roundings, I  tried  to  get  it.  But  I  always  studied 
into  the  reasons.  For  instance,  I  knew  that  gilt 
filigree  chairs  in  a  room  meant  for  comfort,  or  in 
one  where  books  and  pictures  prevailed,  must  be 
bad,  since  they  were  uncomfortable  to  sit  on,  and 
since  they  were  too  unsubstantial  and  too  palpably 
an  attempt  at  elegance  to  place  in  a  room  in  which 

44 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  work  of  some  good  artist  was  on  the  walls  or  the 
books  of  some  great  author  on  the  shelf.  I  did  not 
want  gilt  filigree  chairs,  therefore,  any  more  than  I 
should  have  wanted  to  wear  celluloid  belts  or  gaudy 
jewelry.  I  read  and  studied  every  picture  of  any 
interior  I  saw,  always  keeping  two  points  in  view 
when  selection  was  necessary  —  my  own  require- 
ments and  the  proprieties.  It  was  very  easy  to  see 
that  point-lace  curtains  or  blue  satin,  however  beau- 
tiful in  themselves,  would  be  improper  for  a  library 
or  a  picture  gallery." 


45 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER    III 

COLOR    IN    DECORATION 

COLOR  is  a  mystery,  a  charm,  an 
enticement.       It    is    stimulating, 
depressing,  enervating,  or  uplifting. 
It  warms  or  it  chills.     It  will  irri- 
tate, take  the  pleasure  out  of  every- 
thing,   and    even    go   so    far   as   to 
produce  —  one  woman  assures  me 
—  acute  indigestion. 
Why  not? 

Color,  like  music,  is  a  question 
of  vibration,  affecting  some  of  our 
nerves  more  easily  than  others. 
Take,  for  instance,  the  epigastric 
nerve  lying  over  the  stomach,  one 
of  the  most  sensitive  in  the  body: 
both  color  and  sound  affect  it.  I 
know  people  who  on  this  nerve 
feel  every  vibration  of  an  orchestra  ; 
feel  the  vibratory  waves  of  sound  as  clearly  as  a 
wind  blowing  against  the  hand.  I  know  others  who 
feel  the  vibrations  from  color  quite  as  acutely,  the 
epigastric  nerve  being  so  affected  by  those  from  a 

46 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

distasteful  color  that  a  feeling  of  repugnance,  of 
illness  even,  is  produced. 

All  this,  of  course,  is  nonsense  to  people  devoid 
of  sensitiveness,  and  a  dubious  question  to  those 
who  feel  cheered  or  depressed  by  different  colors 
but  have  never  had  the  explanation  discussed  in 
their  presence.  The  fact  remains,  that  the  vibra- 
tions of  color  affect  different  persons  differently. 

The  most  marvellous  instance  of  sensitiveness  to 
color  vibrations  that  I  know  is  found  in  Miss  Helen 
Keller,  the  deaf,  dumb,  and  blind  girl  whose  intel- 
lectual prowess  and  accomplishments  never  cease 
to  astonish  us.  She  knows  color  by  the  touch,  and 
has  tastes  and  predilections  as  strongly  developed,  — 
nay,  even  more  strongly  developed  —  than  the  aver- 
age human  being  in  full  possession  of  all  his  senses. 
Her  friends  tell  me  that  she  knows  the  colors  of  her 
dresses,  whether  one  is  blue  or  brown  or  black ;  that 
she  will  go  into  the  garden  and  never  make  a  mis- 
take between  pink  or  white  roses.  She  will  do 
more  —  enjoy  the  pink  for  one  quality,  the  white 
rose  for  another. 

Doctors  from  time  to  time  have  tried  to  make 
use  of  these  color  vibrations  in  the  cure  of  patients. 
Not  many  years  ago  we  had  the  blue-glass  craze. 
Invalids  were  immured  in  rooms  the  windows  of 
which  were  filled  with  panes  of  blue  glass,  so  that  the 
sunlight  entering  through  them  might  set  the  blue 
vibrations  in  motion.  Occultists  are  always  discussing 
the  influence  of  color  upon  the  mental  and  spiritual 
nature  of  man.  "  You  will  outgrow  green,"  said 

47 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

one  occultist  to  a  student  in  his  class,  and  suggested 
faint  rose  tones  as  more  elevating  to  the  character. 

The  subject  is  inexhaustible.  My  reason  for 
touching  upon  it  here  is  to  suggest  that  color  in 
the  home  has  an  importance  irrespective  of  its  value 
from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  or  yet  from  the 
standpoint  of  fashion,  which  declares  in  favor  of  yel- 
low walls  to-day,  and  of  green  to-morrow.  Many 
a  tired  woman  has  found  a  change  of  color  in  her 
room  as  refreshing  as  a  change  of  air. 

Color  can  do  more  than  anything  else  to  beau- 
tify the  homes  of  the  impecunious.  Colors  well 
arranged  may  take  the  place  of  richer  appointments 
and  costly  furniture,  in  creating  an  impression  of 
prosperity.  Yellow  is  capable  of  accomplishing 
wonders  in  the  homes  of  the '  indigent.  In  one 
case  a  woman  earning  a  scanty  income,  counting 
each  penny  before  she  spent  it,  was  supposed  to 
have  inherited  a  fortune  because  her  walls,  originally 
a  dingy  maroon  with  sprawling  figures,  blossomed 
out  one  day  in  a  soft  yellow  paper  for  which  the 
landlady  paid.  The  rumor  of  her  prosperity  spread 
and  carried  her  through  several  financial  panics, 
finally  establishing  her  in  success.  Yellow  is  like 
cheerfulness  under  affliction.  It  is  the  color  which 
metaphysicians  say  works  directly  on  the  brain. 
Magenta  could  never  create  an  impression  of  pros- 
perity ;  neither  would  blue  when  seen  by  itself.  If 
blue  did,  it  would  be  because  of  the  quality  of  the 
textile  in  which  it  appeared,  —  the  beauty  of  satin  or 
brocade.  Blue  is  refreshing  to  some,  reposeful  to 

48 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


others.  It  is  always  associated  with  daintiness.  But 
to  convey  a  conviction  of  prosperity,  there  is  nothing 
in  the  whole  scale  of  color  so  potent,  so  infallible,  as 
yellow.  It  has  an  exultant  quality,  a  joyous,  sunny 
atmosphere  ;  but  it  never  gives  a  sense  of 
cosiness  or  warmth  —  never  one  of  draw- 
ing together  for  intimacy,  for  confidential 
touches  and  interchanges  of  thought. 

Yellow  helped  to  give  the  old  Colonial 
drawing-rooms  of  the  Hudson  their  air 
of  cold  and  quiet  reserve,  of  being  al- 
ways on  their  best  behavior,  and, 
like  the  straight-backed  chairs  of 
our  ancestors,  recalls  an  atmosphere 
in  which  no  relaxation,  even  in  pri- 
vate, was  permitted.      Long  after 
the    fortunes    of    those    Hudson 
River  householders  were  lost,  these 
yellow  drawing-rooms  helped  the 
impoverished  inmates  to  maintain  chsPPendaie  chair 

a  certain  proud  and  isolated  dignity  before  the 
world.  I  never  remember  a  greenish  cast  in  those 
yellows,  like  that  seen  in  many  wall-papers  of  to- 
day,—  without  it  the  red  of  the  beautiful  old  dam- 
ask curtains  was  delightful  in  drawing-rooms  with 
yellow  walls. 

When  there  is  a  suggestion  of  brown  in  yellow 
wall-paper,  mahogany  furniture  with  yellow-brown 
hangings  is  harmonious,  the  hangings  taking  up 
both  the  yellow  of  the  walls,  and  the  brown,  broken 
by  black,  of  the  mahogany. 
4  49 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Blues  with  certain  yellows  are  captivating.  I  re- 
member a  bit  of  old  Venetian  yellow  brocade  used 
as  a  table-cover,  on  which  one  day  a  blue  Nankin 
jar  was  placed.  The  result  was  as  delightful  as  the 
smile  of  a  child,  flashing  a  cheerfulness  at  us  as  we 
passed.  In  ball-rooms  this  color  scheme  has  been 
carried  out  in  fullest  degree.  Rooms  of  to-day, 
modelled  upon  those  of  French  palaces,  have  taffeta 
silk  curtains  of  golden  tones  edged  with  a  blue 
gimp. 

The  yellow  of  the  lemon  is  greenish,  that  of 
orange  reddish,  and  you  cannot  mix  them.  It  is 
difficult  to  explain  to  an  amateur  the  reasons  for 
this.  People  with  a  color-sense  discover  its  truth 
without  aid.  I  had  some  sofa  cushions  of  a  soft 
yellow  shadow  silk  in  which  pinkish  tones  predomi- 
nated. One  day  I  introduced  among  them  a  cush- 
ion of  yellow  in  which  the  green  tones  were  strongly 
felt.  The  result  was  disastrous,  as  if  a  voice  out 
of  tune  had  joined  in  a  chorus  and  spoiled  it.  The 
same  feeling  of  discord  is  produced  by  introducing 
a  blue-green  into  a  room  where  the  rest  are  olive- 
greens,  or  in  placing  two  green  pots  together,  one  a 
blue-green  and  one  a  yellow-green.  This  makes  it 
imperative  for  the  inexperienced  man  or  woman, 
desiring  harmonious  results,  to  keep  to  one  color  or 
set  of  colors.  Curtains,  chair-covers,  and  even  the 
walls  may  be  of  the  same  material.  Relief  from 
monotony  is  secured  by  the  introduction  of  pictures, 
books,  flowers,  sofa  cushions. 

Yellow,  by  the  way,  and  not  red,  should  be  used 

5° 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


in  rooms  where  the  sun  does  not  shine. 
Yellow  gives  the  effect  of  sunlight. 
When  yellow  is  employed  in  the  glass  of 
a  leaded  pane,  the  effect  on  the  gloomiest 
of  days  is  of  bright  skies  without.  If 
blue  is  used  in  a  north  room,  it  should 
be  relieved  by  white,  —  the  soft,  fluffy 
white  of  lace  or  sheer  muslin,  preferably 
of  lace.  The  merest  suggestion  of  deli- 
cate pink  should  appear  in  the  room  at 
intervals.  Then  you  get  a  coloring  as  of 
white  apple-blossoms  against  the  blue  of 
the  sky.  There  seems  a  promise  of  com- 
ing sunshine  somewhere. 

Nothing  would  induce  some  persons  to 
use  red  in  a  north  room  ;  or  red  with 
oak  ;  or  the  bright  new  red  of  modern 
manufacture ;  or  that  with  purple  in  it, 
the  most  hideous  red  of  all.  The  old 
faded  reds  of  Venetian  and  Spanish  stuffs 
are  not  to  be  confused  with  these.  They 
are  beautiful  anywhere.  They  are  de- 
lightful, too,  with  dark  oak.  These  old 
reds,  however,  are,  generally  seen  with 
the  rich  yellow  of  a  gold  braid  or  an  em- 
broidery. A  golden  thread  is  sure  to  ap- 
pear. When  red  velvet  is  used  to  cover 
chairs,  brass  nails  are  introduced.  These 
golds  enhance  the  richness  of  effect.  We 
cannot  do  without  red.  Some  instinct  in 
man  makes  him  crave  it,  especially  when 

51 


of  simple    »1 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  cold  begins  and  nature  herself  shows  a  dash  of 
it  in  forest  and  field.     It  is  like  a  stimulant.     It 


acts  like  the   "  trumpet  call  "    to  which  the  blind 
man,   quoted   by   Locke,    compared   it.      It   rouses 
men  to  action  and  excites  them  to  vigor.     In  sum- 
s' 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

mer  we  want  to  get  rid  of  it  in  our  rooms  because 
it  looks  hot ;  but  it  looks  hot  because  it  looks  ener- 
getic —  not  reposeful  as  green  is  reposeful. 

All  this  brings  me  to  a  point  that  I  wish  particu- 
larly to  make.  It  is  not  necessary  to  introduce  red 
into  a  house  to  create  an  impression  of  warmth, 
though  this  color  is  often  —  and  wrongly  —  em- 
ployed for  that  purpose.  A  hall  of  white  marble, 
if  filled  with  growing  plants  and  trickling  fountains, 
not  only  suggests  warmth,  but  convinces  you  of  it. 
On  entering  a  room  where  flowers  flourish  and  water 
flows,  you  recognize  instinctively  the  existence  of 
heat.  You  realize  that  unless  it  were  warm  the 
flowers  would  droop,  the  water  freeze.  A  room 
with  white-panelled  walls,  green  carpets  and  hang- 
ings, may  be  made  more  suggestive  of  warmth  by 
the  introduction  of  growing  plants  than  by  all  the 
red  hangings  in  the  world.  Notes  of  red  among 
the  greens  make  the  composition  better,  add  a  cer- 
tain tonic,  as  it  were,  like  bitters  to  a  beverage,  or 
pepper  to  a  sauce. 

I  stayed,  not  long  since,  in  a  country  house. 
One  of  its  parlors  was  covered  with  a  paper  showing 
branches  of  green  willow-leaves  on  a  white  ground. 
The  wood-work  was  white,  the  sofas  green.  There 
were  bare  floors  and  rugs.  The  southern  windows 
were  filled  with  plants,  one  a  flowering  geranium. 
I  saw  this  room  afterward  on  one  of  the  coldest 
winter  days,  when  winds  were  howling  and  snow 
drifting.  A  fire  burned  on  the  hearth.  There 
were  wood-fires  in  all  the  other  rooms,  and  south- 

53 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


ern  windows  in  some,  but  none  had  the  sense  of 
snugness  and  warmth  felt  in  that  green  and  white 
parlor  with  its  geraniums  in  bloom. 

As  a  decoration  red  is  most  interesting,  but  it 
must  be  used  with  discretion.  A  room  with  walls 
covered  with  Turkish  red,  embroideries, 
and  draperies,  —  crimson,  rose,  brick, 
tawny  reds,  and  soft  pinks,  —  may  be 
made  beautiful,  but  only  when  an  adept 
has  been  at  work.  The  amateur  attempt- 
ing such  a  room  would  in  all  probability 
produce  a  series  of  discords. 

The  good  pinks  are  made  by  a  combi- 
nation of  red  and  white.     Some  pinks  set 
one's   teeth    on   edge,  —  those   having   in 
them  a  mixture  of  blue.   Others 
that  run  into  soft  tea-rose  tones 
and   made   by  a   little   yellow 
mixed   in  with   red   and  white 
are  full  of  a  refreshing  quality. 
With  pink  walls  white  wood- 
work  seems    imperative,   as   it 
does  equally  with  blue.    White 
or  very  ^§^t  furniture  is  suita- 
ble,  although  mahogany  never 


.  walls-  Mahogany  always 
'  seems  like  a  well-bred  guest  : 
introduce  a  bit  of  it  into  almost  any  home  and  it 
will  adapt  itself  at  once  to  its  environment.  I  saw 
it  in  a  pink  and  white  morning-room  the  other 

54 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

day,  among  satin  couches,  and  I  felt  it  added  a  note 
of  distinction,  as  the  well-bred,  of  affable  manners, 
always  do.  In  the  simplest  of  rooms  it  would  have 
been  quite  as  much  at  home.  This  particular  morn- 
ing-room had  a  wainscoting  of  white  wood  running 
from  the  floor  to  a  four-inch  border  of  white  rose- 
wreathed  paper  enclosing  a  paper  imitating  pink 
watered  silk.  The  windows  were  hung  with  satin  sim- 
ilar to  that  covering  the  couches.  It  was  a  room 
strictly  adapted  to  the  needs  of  its  beautiful  owner, 
who  used  it  only  for  the  writing  of  letters  and  the 
reading  of  light  literature  after  breakfast.  Serious 
pursuits  would  have  been  impossible  in  it.  Pink  is 
never  the  color  of  a  student's  mood,  although  it 
may  be  that  of  a  cheerful  philosopher's. 

Although  mahogany  will  make  itself  at  home  in 
different  environments,  it  is  never  so  happy  as  when 
associated  with  golden  browns,  with  the  browns  that 
have  been  made  sunny  with  yellow  and  red. 

When  a  room  is  to  be  hung  with  many  pictures, 
or  filled  with  pottery  or  porcelain,  this  sunny  brown 
makes  a  charming  setting.  The  chairs  and  sofas  that 
are  covered  with  it  subordinate  themselves,  keeping 
the  lower  part  of  the  room,  as  it  should  be  kept,  in 
a  subdued  key,  leaving  the  eye  free  to  travel  where 
it  will  over  the  pictures  or  the  pottery  above. 

By  combining  golden  browns  and  dull  yellows 
with  notes  of  red,  you  can  make  your  interior  not 
only  sunny  and  cheerful,  but  hospitable,  since  you 
can  introduce  almost  anything  into  it.  You  may 
get  the  greens  of  mosses  or  ferns  among  the  red 

55 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

browns  of  oak-leaves  covering  the  ground  in  a  wood- 
land —  exhilarating  effects  which,  as  you  see  them, 
make  you  wonder  what  has  happened  to  inspire  you 
with  so  cheerful  a  mood. 

Russet  tones  are  delightful  in  living-rooms,  whether 
in  country  or  town.  They  can  be  introduced  into 
a  room  having  oak  or  walnut  wood-work,  by  using 
golden  brown  on  the  walls  and  in  the  furniture, 
having  a  lower  key  in  the  carpet,  and  somewhere 
among  the  golden  greens  of  the  cushions  a  flam- 
ing note  of  red.  Whenever  the  yellow  oak  of  com- 
merce must  be  retained  in  the  trim  and  wainscoting, 
russet  tones  are  to  be  recommended. 

The  grays  and  greens  of  nature  are  symphonies, 
especially  the  purple  grays  and  greens  of  French 
forests.  Grays  and  greens  in  houses  seldom  pro- 
duce an  agreeable  impression,  unless  some  artist 
understanding  color  has  been  at  work.  The  gray 
wood  now  so  fashionable  when  used  as  a  high  wain- 
scoting in  a  dining-room  blends  happily  with  the 
green  of  ferns  or  the  silvery  green  of  fine  velvets. 
The  soft  greenish  or  silvery  grays  of  a  burlaps  that 
has  been  treated  by  an  artist  is  delightful  as  a 
background  for  tapestries,  pictures,  and  carvings. 

Of  all  colors  used  in  our  houses  green  makes  the 
most  satisfactory  and  reposeful  background,  —  not 
light  pea-green,  nor  blue-green,  nor  yet  a  certain 
flashy,  shiny,  uncomfortable  green;  none  of  the 
greens  that  are  seen  in  some  shop-window  and,  alas! 
in  many  houses.  The  greens  to  which  I  refer  as 
being  reposeful  are  the  dark  olives,  which  do  not 

56 


HOMES  AN~D    THEIR   DECORATION 

change  under  lamplight,  and  which  make  a  wall  an 
inconspicuous  setting  for  pictures,  books,  and  flow- 
ers. With  this  green  can  be  combined  pinkish  tones, 
yellow,  or  red.  Blue  is  also  good  with  it,  when  in- 
troduced as  blue  plates  on  dining-room  walls. 

If  you  like  yellow,  you  can  introduce  it  into  a 
green  room,  in  brass,  in  the  braid  of  a  curtain,  or  as 
the  gold  mats  of  your  pictures.  The  green  of  the 
mullein  stalk,  or  an  apple-green,  will  carry  a  room 
up  to  a  higher  key  and  give  an  effect  suitable  for 
bedrooms  and  dining-rooms. 

Recently  it  has  been  the  fashion  to  combine  red 
with  green.  It  has  become  an  every-day  occurrence 
to  see  green  walls  with  red  hangings,  or  red  walls 
with  green  draperies  and  carpets.  The  reds  of 
hangings,  either  on  the  walls  or  at  the  openings, 
are  seldom  of  a  solid  unbroken  color.  Thus  with 
red  velvets  there  is  almost  always  the  braid,  eight 
or  ten  inches  wide,  and  shot  with  a  gold  thread  or  a 
yellow  silk.  When  brocades  or  damasks  are  used, 
their  raised  figures  break  the  light  as  it  falls,  and 
carry  the  eye  away  from  the  tedium  of  an  unrelieved 
solidity. 

One  country  house,  used  in  winter,  has  been 
treated  with  reds  and  greens  in  this  way.  All  the 
floors  are  covered  with  a  rich  red  velvet  carpet  —  a 
sweep  of  splendid  color  lying  across  the  drawing- 
room  floor,  the  much-divided  hall,  up  the  stairs 
to  the  bedrooms  above,  down  the  flight  of  a  dozen 
steps  or  more  to  the  library  door,  and  on  across 
that  floor  to  the  fireplace  at  its  end,  some  forty 

57 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

feet  away.  The  walls  of  the  drawing-room  are 
covered  with  a  large  red  figure  on  a  white  ground. 
The  hall  is  green,  —  a  better  background  for  the 
pictures ;  the  library,  red.  No  sense  of  confusion 
is  conveyed  by  the  breaking  up  of  the  wall-colors. 
That  splendid  sweep  of  red  in  the  carpet,  when  the 
doors  are  thrown  open,  brings  everything  together. 
An  unbroken  stretch  of  wall-space  could  never  have 
done  this. 

When  dependence  must  be  placed  upon  color  to 
make  a  room  interesting,  costly  materials  and  furni- 
ture are  not  a  necessity,  although  it  is  well  to  re- 
member that  certain  reds,  fine  yellows,  and  grays 
are  found  only  in  expensive  textiles. 

Repose  in  a  room  comes  from  a  certain  evenness 
of  tone.  A  room,  however  simple,  can  in  its  color 
and  proportion  suggest  charm  and  repose.  The 
dyes  of  most  denims  are  excellent,  and  a  room 
hung,  curtained,  and  upholstered  in  a  denim  of 
good  tone  can  be  invested  with  dignity.  Take  a 
certain  room  in  which  I  am  a  frequent  visitor.  The 
wood-work  and  ceiling  are  white,  the  walls  cov- 
ered with  a  dark-red  paper,  the  floor  is  bare  except 
for  a  single  rug.  The  divan  cushions  are  covered 
with  red  denim  ;  the  curtains,  having  a  valance  across 
the  top,  are  of  the  same  material.  Plants  fill  the 
windows.  The  walls  are  lined  with  photographs, 
-Van  Dycks  and  Rembrandts,  in  dark  frames 
without  mats.  The  white  mantel  is  decorated  with 
an  old-fashioned  mirror  in  a  gilt  frame,  a  pair  of 
crystal  candlesticks,  and  a  vase  of  flowers.  There 

58 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

are  books  on  the  white  shelves,  and  on  the  well- 
appointed  writing-table.  Here  is  a  room  which  is 
simplicity  itself,  and  costs  but  a  few  dollars  to  fur- 
nish ;  yet  every  visitor  who  crosses  the  threshold  rec- 
ognizes at  once  that  its  inmate  is  a  lady,  intellectual 
and  refined ;  that  while  economy  has  of  necessity 
been  practised,  its  mistress  has  utilized  limited 
means  at  her  command  with  discretion  and  intelli- 
gence. Indeed,  as  I  discovered  one  day,  she  has  a 
series  of  pasteboard  boxes  high  up  on  a  closet  shelf, 
filled  with  superfluous  things,  —  presents  and  lega- 
cies that  would  have  been  out  of  key  with  the  sim- 
plicity of  her  present  condition,  or  with  colors  and 
tones  that  would  have  made  her  room  a  discord. 
Compare  such  a  room  with  one  hung  with  a  paper 
showing  gilt  figures,  maroon  curtains  at  the  win- 
dows, chairs  tied  with  blue  bows,  and  lamps  with 
globes  decorated  with  pink  roses.  One  room  is 
reposeful  and  dignified,  in  spite  of  the  inexpen- 
siveness  of  the  materials  in  it ;  the  other  would  be 
discordant,  obtrusive,  unrestful,  however  costly  the 
stuffs  employed. 

Indeed,  a  question  of  cost  does  not  enter  into 
the  subject  at  all,  except  as  money  is  a  means  of 
purchase.  The  most  exquisite  old  Colonial  house 
I  ever  saw  was  spoiled  by  colors  at  variance  with 
its  traditions  and  its  builder's  taste  :  they  seemed 
foreign  in  that  beautiful  old  house ;  intruders,  hav- 
ing no  business  to  lodge  there  even  for  a  night  — 
out  of  harmony  with  the  walls,  the  lovely  win- 
dows, the  simple  fireplace.  Yet  the  woman  who 

59 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

chose  those  colors  could  have  bought  anything  she 
wanted;  she  was  always  buying,  always  busy  over 
selections  ;  but  she  knew  nothing  of  relative  values, 
of  what  constituted  the  appropriate,  or  belonged  to 
the  period  of  which  her  home  was,  architecturally, 
so  beautiful  an  example.  Failing  this  knowledge, 
she  failed  in  every  purchase,  and  the  result  was 
a  hopeless  discord.  This  gives  me,  just  here,  the 
opportunity  to  say,  that  the  owner  of  a  beautiful 
house  has  that  which  is  a  contribution  to  her  time, 
an  education  to  her  contemporaries.  For  this  rea- 
son it  should  be  obligatory  to  make  the  house  a 
perfect  presentment  of  the  period  it  represents, 
either  the  present  or  the  past.  One  is  untrue  to 
ideals  who  inherits  a  noble  example  of  old  architec- 
ture, and  allows  the  whims  of  an  uncultivated  taste 
to  destroy  its  dignity  and  repose.  It  is  only  when 
we  keep  in  view  this  point  about  houses,  booksj  or 
pictures,  when  we  regard  them  as  we  ought,  that  we 
need  feel  no  sense  of  self-reproach  in  criticizing  the 
dwelling-places  of  our  neighbors. 

When  its  occupant  makes  no  pretence  in  a  house, 
being  too  poor  to  do  more  than  make  a  habitation 
comfortable  and  hospitable,  the  case  is  altered. 
Then  criticism  would  be  criticism  of  another's  limi- 
tations, another's  poverties,  and  nothing  is  worse 
than  that.  But  a  faultless  piece  of  architecture 
spoiled  by  the  bad  taste  of  a  legatee,  who  does  not 
know  one  good  thing  from  another,  and  who  is  too 
vain  and  too  indifferent  to  seek  advice,  becomes  a 
fit  subject  for  criticism. 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   IV 

KITCHENS 

I/KITCHENS  have  always  had  a  fasci- 
•*•  *•  nation  for  me,  possibly  because  I 
remember  how  delightful  were  some 
of  those  that  I  knew  in  my  youth, 
—  long,  wide  rooms,  with  white 
scrubbed  floors,  old  Dutch  ovens, 
and  spotless  motherly  cooks  (they 
all  seemed  motherly  in  those  days) 
presiding  over  a  storehouse  of  pleas- 
ant surprises,  and  with  wonderful  aromas  arising 
from  various  cupboards  or  cellar  shelves.  Out- 
side these  kitchens  there  was  always  an  arbor 
covered  with  grape-vines,  which  on  warm  days 
made  the  stone  flagging  beneath  a  cool  and 
restful  playground  for  children.  But  until  the 
last  few  years  I  have  never  met  any  one  who 
shared  my  enthusiasm.  To  most  women  kitch- 
ens are  bores  —  subterranean  regions  suggestive 
of  necessary  daily  inspections  with  rapid  retreats ; 
regions  associated  with  over-heated  atmospheres  of 
divers  kinds,  sundry  threats,  much  disorder,  and 
endless  vexing,  unsolved  problems  of  ways  and 
means,  right  and  wrong,  leniency  and  ingratitude, 

61 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  the  host  of  other  direful  things  which   make 
housekeeping  so  exhausting  to  most  Americans. 

It  is  only  since  I  have  begun  to  know  something 
of  apartments,  and  how  men  and  women  who  have 
studied  abroad  have  learned  to  live  in  studios,  that 
I  have  discovered  people  as  interested  as  I  am  in 
the  subject  of  kitchens,  —  in  making  them  into 
pretty  and  livable  places ;  places  to  be  proud  of, 
not  to  shun.  The  charm  of  some  of  the  old-world 
kitchens  was  not  to  be  resisted  by  those  who  had 
felt  it.  It  was  inevitable  that  they  should  be  imi- 
tated by  returning  travellers.  Moreover,  life  in  an 
apartment  or  a  studio  necessitates  a  different  order 
of  domestic  arrangement  from  that  which  rules  in 
a  house.  Everything  is  within  arm's  reach,  as  it 
were,  nothing  can  be  hidden  ;  and  kitchens,  in  most 
instances,  are  separated  only  by  a  door  from  the 
hall  through  which  guests  come  and  go ;  and  these 
guests,  many  of  whom  have  always  lived  in  houses, 
are  apt  to  regard  an  apartment  as  they  would  some 
pleasure-craft  or  mountain  camp.  To  them  it  lacks 
the  seriousness  of  a  house.  They  look  at  it  as  they 
might  a  toy.  They  realize  that  life  is  simplified, 
much  care  eliminated,  and  that  a  unique  system 
of  ways  and  means  must  prevail.  About  this 
system  they  immediately  begin  to  inquire,  as  they 
would  never  dream  of  inquiring  in  a  house  with  an 
up  and  down  stairs  to  it,  where  a  kitchen  was  off 
somewhere  in  the  basement.  Does  not  every  young 
married  woman,  beginning  life  in  an  apartment,  have 
the  same  story  to  tell  ?  And  when  she  leads  now 

62 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


one,  now  another,  of  her  sympathetic  intimates 
through  her  new  home,  must  she  not  always  open 
the  door  of  her  kitchen  wide  enough  to  admit  at 
least  their  interested  faces  ?  And  shall  I 
not  confess  to  feeling  aggrieved  myself, 
when  a  view  of  one  of  these  comfortable 
little  places  is  denied  me  ? 

I  realize  that  I  am  constantly  making 
excuses  to  get  a  peep  into  the  kitchen  of 
a  woman  I  know.     It  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful  rooms  of  her  apartment.     The 
wood-work    is,    as  she   found   it,    stained 
to  imitate  oak  ;    the  walls  are  painted  a 
cheerful,    light,    and    re- 
freshing green  ;  the  chim-  Oldjash.ion.eoi 
ney-piece    back    of    the  Candlestick 

gas-stove  has  the  appear- 
ance of  being  bricked,  though  it  is 
only  covered  with  red  enamel  paint 
lined  with  white,  the  work  of  a 
painter  under  her  direction,  — 
easily  done,  yet  costing  little. 
The  shelf  above  the  red  is 
hung  with  copper  cooking 
utensils,  highly  polished  and 
glowing  with  color.  An  old- 
fashioned  Dutch  clock  hangs  over  the  tubs,  its 
quaint  weights  suspended  by  chains.  The  rocking- 
chair  is  cushioned  in  gay  calico.  Over  the  top  of 
the  window  appears  the  only  other  textile  used  in 
the  room,  —  a  valance  of  white  linen  edged  with 

63 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

crocheted  lace.  I  have  never  seen  this  kitchen 
when  it  was  not  in  spotless  order,  its  well-scrubbed 
floor  clean  and  inviting  as  the  table  by  the  window ; 
nor  have  I  ever  seen  the  smiling  maid-servant  when 
she  was  not  ready  to  exhibit  it  with  pride. 

Just  above  this  kitchen,  in  the  same  apartment 
house,  is  another,  its  duplicate,  which  has  been 
treated  in  a  different  way.  The  wood-work  is  like 
that  on  the  lower  floor, — an  imitation  oak.  The 
walls  are  painted  a  light  chrome  yellow.  The 
chimney-piece  back  of  the  gas  stove  looks  as 
though  rilled  with  white  tiles.  White  enamelled 
paint,  divided  by  blue  lines  into  four-inch  squares, 
creates  this  impression.  The  cooking  utensils, 
being  less  interesting  than  those  of  the  neighbor 
beneath,  are  hidden  in  a  closet.  The  two  shelves 
over  the  chimney-piece  are  decorated  with  some  of 
the  blue  Canton  china  in  daily  use,  —  coffee-pot, 
cups  and  saucers,  vegetable  dishes,  and  platters. 
The  stencilled  frieze  above  the  shelf  repeats  in 
blue  the  simple  pattern  seen  in  the  border  of 
the  Canton  ware.  The  white  of  the  tiles  on  the 
face  of  the  chimney  matches  the  bluish-white  of 
the  cups.  Blue  cotton,  stamped  with  white,  forms 
the  valance  over  the  top  of  the  window,  and  the 
same  material  is  used  for  the  tablecloth.  It  adds 
much  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  room,  and  being 
washable,  can  easily  be  kept  immaculate. 

By  comparing  the  two  illustrations  it  will  be  seen 
that  though  these  two  rooms  are  alike  in  size  and 
exposure,  an  application  of  different  colors,  and  a 

64 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

display  of  different  utensils,  have  made  them  assume 
different  characters.  It  will  also  be  seen  —  and 
special  emphasis  should  be  laid  on  this  point  —  that 
nothing  is  permitted  to  appear  which  is  not  of 
actual  use.  The  question  of  utility  has  governed 
every  arrangement.  The  useful  has  been  made  the 
ornamental. 

The  moment  that  the  purely  ornamental  is  intro- 
duced into  kitchens,  that  moment  the  possibility  of 
artistic  excellence  is  destroyed.  Neither  vases  nor 
cheap  prints  nor  chromos  should  appear.  When 
books  are  permitted,  as  they  are  in  another  apart- 
ment kitchen  (shown  in  the  illustration),  you  are 
made  to  feel  instantly  that  the  books  are  there  to 
be  read  ;  that  the  maids,  having  no  separate  sitting- 
room,  have  been  made  as  comfortable  as  possible 
by  their  mistress.  And  the  books  and  the  reading- 
lamp  are  in  a  specially  reserved  place  by  them- 
selves, not  cumbering  the  tables  while  the  cooking 
is  going  on.  The  walls,  wood-work,  and  curtains 
of  this  kitchen  are  white ;  the  floor  is  covered  by  a 
white  linoleum  squared  with  blue ;  there  is  a  fold- 
ing-table near  by,  to  be  drawn  out  at  night ;  the 
cooking  utensils  are  copper,  and  across  the  windows 
are  shelves  for  growing  plants. 

I  know  some  other  pretty  kitchens,  too,  one  in 
particular,  out  of  which  many  and  many  a  delight- 
ful dinner  has  been  served  to  choice  companies 
gathered  in  the  adjoining  studio.  It  is  only  about 
nine  by  sixteen  feet,  this  little  kitchen  of  enviable 
repute.  A  gas  stove  occupies  one  corner  next  a 
5  65 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


sink  having  hot  and  cold  water.  When  no  cooking 
is  going  on  the  stove  is  concealed  by  a  tall  Japanese 
screen,  and,  because  life  in  studio-buildings  some- 
times necessitates  a  makeshift  or  two,  a  pine  settle 
is  drawn  up  in  front  of  this  screen,  a  most  com- 
fortable settle,  by  the  way,  and  accommodating  — 
since  it  will  seat  two  persons  at  any  time,  or  answer 
as  a  table  for  dishes  if  the  owner  should  so  prefer. 
A  heated  poker,  cleverly  applied,  has  adorned  it 
with  a  border  of  pretty  design,  and  a 
coat  of  crude  oil  has  given  it  the  appear- 
ance of  old  oak.  A  set  of  shelves,  made 
after  an  old  Dutch  model  and  treated  in 
similar  fashion,  hangs  between  the  doors, 
supporting  quaint  Dutch  platters  and 
jugs,  bits  of  copper,  and  pitchers  col- 
lected across  the  sea.  Over  the  refriger- 
ator, treated  also  to  look  like  dark  oak, 
hang  other  shelves  filled  with  colored  plates  and 
dishes.  There  are  no  stuffs  about,  of  course,  no 
hangings,  nothing  in  reality  that  does  not  belong  to 
a  kitchen.  Neither  is  a  single  convenience  sacrificed 
to  artistic  effects :  I  have  only  to  remember  the 
dinners  to  realize  this ;  but  any  visitor  to  the  studio 
might  be  asked  to  step  into  this  little  room  and 
wait  there,  without  having  the  least  suspicion  of  his 
whereabouts,  so  delightfully  is  the  whole  spirit  of 
an  artist's  interior  suggested. 

Another  kitchen  has  been  treated  with  blue  paint, 
—  wood-work  and  walls  and  shelves  ;  brass  kettles, 
candlesticks,  lamps,  and  flowered  china'  putting  the 

66 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

finish  to  its  scheme  of  decoration.  Then  there  is 
another,  the  walls  of  which  have  been  covered  with 
the  blue  and  white  oil-cloth  used  for  kitchen  tables, 
and  which  can  be  as  readily  washed  as  paint.  Blue 
and  white  linoleum  covers  the  floor.  There  are 
few  things  more  delightful  than  a  pine  floor  kept 
spotless  by  the  daily  application  of  the  scrubbing- 
brush,  though  of  course  the  question  of  the  labor  it 
involves  must  be  taken  into  consideration.  Such  a 
floor  should  never  be  allowed  to  show  a  stain,  other- 
wise it  becomes  worse  than  a  spotted  apron  on  a 
cook. 

As  I  recall  these  kitchens,  of  how  pretty  and 
interesting  and  convenient  they  are,  I  wonder  why 
it  is  that  so  little  is  done  by  other  people  to  make 
similar  places  attractive, 
The  lower  one  descends  in 
the  scale  of  social  impor- 
tance, the  smaller  the  means, 
the  more  the  kitchen  is  in 
evidence.  There  are  many 
persons  who  cannot  afford 

servants,  or  who  can  have  only  one, 1 

and  all  through  the  tenement  districts 
there  are  people  who  must  eat  as  well  as  cook  in  the 
same  room,  yet  no  attempt  is  made  by  these  persons 
to  grace  them  either  with  a  touch  of  dignity  or  of 
importance.  It  seems  to  me  sometimes,  that  the 
whole  status  of  living  might  be  raised  were  more  at- 
tention paid  to  the  subject,  more  interest  felt  in  it. 
And  the  change  could  be  so  easily  effected.  First, 

67 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

admit  only  the  things  that  could  be  scrubbed  or 
shaken  ;  then  a  little  attention  paid  to  the  stove 
and  the  mantel,  a  little  more  building  up  about 
these ;  care  displayed  in  the  arrangement  of  dishes 
and  cooking  utensils,  so  that  they  become  part  of 
the  decoration  of  the  room,  as  they  are  in  the  old- 
world  kitchens  of  the  peasants  —  many  of  whom 
are  in  our  midst.  Were  a  tasteful  grouping  of 
dishes  and  cooking  utensils  effected  about  the  stove 
and  chimney-piece,  a  certain  compelling  note  would 
be  achieved  at  once,  forcing  the  woman  who  worked 
beside  it  to  keep  from  that  part  of  the  room  all  for- 
eign and  discordant  elements,  —  bottles,  papers,  cal- 
endars that  had  become  dusty  months  before  —  a 
host  of  other  untidy  articles  would  be  found  to  have 
no  place  there,  and  from  the  feeling  that  they  were 
out  of  place,  would  grow  the  need  of  providing 
special  receptacles  for  them,  or,  better  still,  of  doing 
away  with  them  altogether. 

The  question  of  decoration,  too,  has  been  made 
easy  in  these  days.  The  manufacturer  has  gone  on 
improving  his  wares  till  there  are  not  only  pretty 
tins  for  teas  and  coffees  and  spices,  but  pretty  chinas 
as  well,  either  in  pure  white  or  blue  and  white ; 
refrigerators  are  tiled,  and  kettles  lined  with  porce- 
lain ;  wood-boxes  are  both  useful  and  ornamental ; 
and  the  shapes  of  many  of  the  commoner  dishes 
are  better  even  than  those  of  the  silver  specially 
designed  for  the  table  —  they  make  you  want  to 
go  to  work  at  once. 

Many  women  do  go  to  work  at  once  —  the 

68 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

women  who  do  not  belong  to  tenements.  The  fad 
for  cooking-schools  has  developed  latent  talent 
among  modern  housekeepers,  so  that  a  lady  experi- 
menting with  some  new  recipe  is  no  longer  the  un- 
usual spectacle  she  was  during  that  interval  when 
suddenly  acquired  wealth  carried  us  away  from  the 
traditions  of  our  grandmother's  generation.  Thirty 
or  forty  years  ago  domestic  arts  had  grown  to  be 
regarded  only  as  a  form  of  menial  service.  To-day 
we  are  returning  to  better  views.  In  the  hands  of 
the  wholesome  college-trained  women  of  the  present 
day  domestic  management  bids  fair  to  become  almost 
as  exact  a  science  as  the  system  of  hygiene  which 
controls  the  running  of  our  institutions. 

The  farmhouse  kitchen,  and  that  of  the  more 
prosperous  country-dweller,  is  almost  always  sure  to 
be  cheerful.  Its  environment,  the  presence  of  trees 
and  vines,  insures  this.  It  is  the  kitchen  of  the 
house  in  town  that  is  apt  to  be  dreary,  the  kitchen 
sometimes  half  a  story  below  the  basement,  the 
kitchen  with  old  wood-work,  and  old  tubs  and 
smoked  ceilings  —  the  kitchen  of  houses,  often 
enough,  of  luxury  and  comfort  upstairs,  but  with 
no  touch  of  improvement  below.  Sometimes,  when 
such  a  touch  is  suggested  by  a  sympathetic  friend, 
the  family  is  almost  demoralized.  And  the  argu- 
ments against  it  are  most  curious ;  remarks  about 
hovels  on  the  other  side  of  the  water,  and  the  new- 
fangled notions  of  the  day  on  this,  and  the  race  of 
good,  contented,  hard-working  servants  dying  out 
—  nowhere,  in  any  of  the  talk,  the  slightest  remem- 

69 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

brance  of  the  fact  that  orders  and  conditions  change 
everywhere,  and  that  if  they  did  not  the  world 
would  be  left  in  a  stagnant  condition. 

I   remember  something  my  dear  old  mother  told 
me  of  certain  upheavals  in  her  own   kitchen  long 

ago,  somewhere  in  the  forties.     Hers  was 

. 
almost  the  first  house  in  Washington  into 

the  kitchen  of  which  running  water  was 
introduced.  And  what  was  the  conse- 
quence ?  All  her  colored  maid-servants 
threatened  to  leave ;  they  wanted  the  fun 
of  gossiping  daily  at  the  town 
pump.  She  lived  to  see  ser- 
vants wanting  to  depart  when 
water  had  to  be  carried  from 
the  faucets  of  the  kitchen  only  as  far  as  the 
"wooden  wash-tubs  set  up  on  benches  four 
feet  away.  So  it  is  that  the  pendulum  of  progress 
swings. 

Gloomy  kitchens  below  stairs  can  always  be 
treated  with  fresh  white  paint,  and  white  linoleum 
floors.  Yellow  could  be  introduced  into 
the  wood-work.  There  is  nothing  like 
paint  for  transforming  kitchens  and  pan- 
tries. Of  course  dust  will  come,  and  an- 
other year  the  kitchen  will  be  as  shabby 
as  before,  but  there  is  always  more  paint 
to  be  had.  Of  course,  too,  many  women 
will  feel  the  annual  renovations  of  their 
kitchens  a  burden,  —  women  to  whom  new  papers 
upstairs  would  seem  objects  worthy  of  sacrifice. 

70 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

But  one-sided  views  as  to  the  obligations  of  human 
relations  are  apt  to  prevail,  especially  in  domestic 
affairs ;  and  there  are  no  views,  it  seems  to  me,  so 
absolutely  and  hopelessly  one-sided  as  those  which 
refuse  to  recognize  the  servants'  quarters  as  part  of 
a  mistress's  domain  ;  as  standing  for  her  as  much  as 
her  drawing-rooms  do,  whether  her  servants  appre- 
ciate her  efforts  or  abuse  her  privileges.  Neither 
the  appreciation  nor  the  abuse  has  anything  to  do 
with  the  question  of  her  obligation.  If  a  house  is 
to  stand  for  the  man  or  woman  at  the  head  of  it, 
every  part  of  that  house  is  to  be  made  representa- 
tive. This  rule  holds  good  in  all  art.  To  have  the 
fa£ade  of  a  house  beautiful  and  the  rear  tawdry  and 
cheap,  or,  if  I  may  be  pardoned  the  repetition  of  a 
time-worn  joke,  to  have  "  a  cottage  with  a  Queen 
Anne  front  and  a  Mary  Ann  back,"  is  the  most  rep- 
rehensible form  of  architectural  expression  ;  to  have 
a  pretty  and  cheerful  drawing-room,  and  an  ill-ap- 
pointed, dreary  kitchen,  is  to  disobey  a  similar  code. 
Another  way  in  which  the  codes  are  violated  is  the 
use  made  at  times  of  the  front  basement  room  as  a 
dining-room.  Now  and  then  this  use  is  obligatory, 
as  when  a  back  parlor,  for  instance,  has  to  be  used 
as  a  doctor's  office.  When  this  is  the  case,  nothing 
can  be  said ;  I  refer  rather  to  instances  where  people 
do  not  stop  to  think,  and  who  fancy  that  they  are 
saving  themselves  and  the  servants  trouble  by  din- 
ing in  the  front  basement.  In  reality  they  are  de- 
priving their  maids  of  a  place  for  recreation ;  and, 
curiously  enough,  the  pleasure-lovers  of  life  are  not 

72 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

those  who  err  oftenest  in  this  direction,  but  the 
people  with  no  well-defined  social  relations  of  their 
own,  or  who  consider  questions  of  economy  only. 
People  of  fashion  never  descend  to  the  basement 
for  a  meal,  and  in  New  York  it  has  become  part  of 
a  recognized  code  to  make  the  front  basement  into 
a  sitting-room  for  the  servants,  arranging  it  with 
as  much  taste  as  possible.  In  smaller  towns  away 
from  the  fashionable  centres,  one  finds,  unhappily, 
another  rule  prevailing. 

If,  as  I  said  before,  the  lower  one  descends  in  the 
scale  of  social  importance  or  of  wealth  the  more  the 
kitchen  is  in  evidence,  so  the  higher  one  ascends  in 
the  scale  of  magnificence  the  less  it  is  apparent,  and 
the  more  perfectly  it  is  appointed.  The  kitchens 
of  the  newer  modern  houses  are  filled  with  conven- 
iences of  which  our  grandmothers  never  dreamed. 
The  walls  are  covered  with  white  glazed  tiles,  finished 
at  the  ceiling  with  a  conventional  border,  sometimes 
green,  sometimes  blue,  also  of  the  tiling.  The  floor 
is  of  cement  or  unglazed  tiles.  Hygienic  principles 
are  nowhere  neglected.  No  corners  are  left  for 
dust,  no  cracks  are  there  where  insects  or  microbes 
can  lodge.  About  the  edge  of  the  room,  where 
the  floor  joins  the  wall,  and  where  ordinarily  a 
sharp  angle  is  made,  the  tiling  is  curved  so  that  a 
wet  cloth  wipes  everything  away.  The  refrigera- 
tors are  tiled ;  so  are  the  cold-rooms,  meat-closets, 
and  pantries ;  shelves  are  of  thick  bevelled  glass ; 
in  the  wine-cellars,  when  wire  is  not  used,  terra- 
cotta receptacles  are  made  for  the  bottles.  The 

73 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

hose  may  be  used  in  all  parts  of  these  kitchens 
without  injury.  No  wash-tub,  of  course,  appears 
—  the  laundry  is  often  at  the  top  of  the  house,  or 
the  clothes  are  taken  away  to  be  laundered.  Thus 
everything  is  arranged  for  cleanliness,  but  no  result 
is  obtained  in  the  way  of  good  taste  which  is  not 
possible  to  the  owners  of  the  simplest  and  most 
unpretentious  of  kitchens. 


74 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   V 

BEDROOMS  :    APARTMENTS 

T  always  astonishes  me  to  discover 
people  who  can  have  their  own  way 
about  things,  contenting  themselves 
with  a  bedroom  and  bath,  when  they 
might,  if  they  chose,  have  dressing- 
rooms,  boudoirs,  or  morning-rooms  as 
well.  Women  living  in  the 
country  with  acres  on  which  to 
build,  and  money  with  which 
to  do  the  building,  will  often 
prefer  one  large  bedroom  in 
which  they  can  sleep,  dress,  read  and  write,  sew  in 
the  morning  and  lounge  in  the  afternoon,  to  a  series 
of  smaller  rooms  in  which  these  occupations  may 
be  carried  on  separately.  It  seems  to  me  even  the 
sentiments  that  cling  about  the  mother's  room  might 
be  preserved,  if  the  young  sons  and  daughters  found 
her  busy  with  her  needle  in  a  pretty  boudoir  rather 
than  in  the  room  in  which  she  must  perform  the 
offices  of  the  toilet  as  well. 

We  all  know  some  of  these  bedrooms,  rilled  with 
beds,  bureaus,  baby-cribs,  and  dressing-tables,  rock- 
ing-chairs and  lounges,  bookcases,  and  the  family 
photographs  and  souvenirs.  And  we  know,  too, 

75 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

how  spotless  and  neat  and  sunny  they  may  be,  how 
full  of  cheer  and  pleasant  memories.  But  whenever 
I  see  one  of  them  my  sympathy  always  goes  out  to 
the  husband,  so  small  a  portion  of  it  seems  left  for 
him. 

Sometimes,  when  I  think  how  men  are  shoved 
about  in  their  own  houses,  I  do  not  wonder  at  the 
popularity  of  clubs.  Now  and  then  some  bold 
father  will  venture  a  room  for  himself,  and  with  that 
art  undeniably  his,  of  making  his  own  particular 
quarters  comfortable,  he  will  provide  himself  with  a 
delightful  study  or  library.  At  once  it  becomes 
the  most  popular  room  in  the  house :  the  young 
daughter  begs  it  for  tea  in  the  afternoon ;  the 
children  bring  their  books  to  his  sofa  in  the  morn- 
ing; his  wife's  work-bag  lies  on  his  table,  her  family 
letters  among  his  legal  documents,  and  whenever 
she  wants  a  quiet  chat  with  some  of  her  intimates 
she  takes  her  visitors  into  his  den,  where  the  atmos- 
phere is  always  one  of  comfort  and  repose. 

I  knew  a  man  of  letters  once.  He  lived  in  town 
in  a  three-story  brick  house,  with  his  wife  and  child. 
He  earned  his  living  by  his  pen,  but  he  had  to  do 
it  in  this  way.  After  breakfast  he  was  permitted 
the  dining-room  to  write  in  ;  when  the  maid  ap- 
peared to  set  the  table  for  luncheon  he  gathered 
together  his  papers  and  went  upstairs  to  the  guest- 
room ;  if  that  was  occupied  —  and  it  generally  was 
—  he  took  refuge  in  a  corner  of  his  wife's  bed- 
room. When  she  was  busy  there,  he  wrote  where 
he  could. 

76 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Of  course  if  you  have  not  money  to  do  as  you 
choose  the  case  is  altogether  different.  If  you  must 
live  in  the  conventional  high-stoop  house,  or  in  an 
apartment  where  you  are  always  cramped  for  space, 
no  question  of  night  and  morning  rooms  can  be 
raised.  As  to  the  small  flats  and  apartments  that 
are  going  up  on  every  side,  I  never  escape  a  pang 
of  sympathy  and  regret  as  I  think  of  their  tenants. 
Family  life  in  its  better  sense  cannot  exist  in  them, 
and  its  semblance  is  only  to  be  secured  at  the  price 
of  eternal  compromise.  They  may  mean  protection 
from  the  weather,  a  shelter  in  which  to  eat  and  sleep, 
but  personal  liberty,  and  the  possibility  of  privacy 
in  them,  does  not  exist.  There  is  moral  danger,  as 
well  as  discomfort,  in  cramped  quarters,  although  the 
capitalist  with  money  to  invest  in  paying  properties 
gives  the  question  scant  consideration. 

The  bedrooms  of  flats  and  apartments  must  be 
treated  in  a  different  way  from  those  of  even  small 
houses.  The  luxury  of  dressing-rooms,  for  instance, 
will  be  quite  unknown  unless  the  apartment  is  of 
the  most  expensive  sort.  When  a  dressing-room 
does  appear,  the  feat  has  been  accomplished,  you 
may  be  sure,  only  by  the  sacrifice  of  an  extra  bed- 
room. Ordinarily  everything  must  be  crowded  into 
one  room,  or,  worse  still,  crowded  out. 

An  apartment  bedroom,  when  it  does  not  open 
on  a  shaft,  and  when  it  is  large  enough  to  sit  in  at 
all,  and  when  a  living-room  and  parlor  are  not  pos- 
sible, must  be  used  for  much  else  besides  sleeping. 
You  must  dress  in  it,  and  when  you  do  not  have 

77 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

exclusive  use  of  the  bathroom,  you  must  keep  a 
washstand  with  its  pitcher  and  basin  in  view  of 
visitors,  and  not  infrequently  you  must  keep  your 
sewing  machine  not  many  feet  away  from  your  bed. 
When  you  find  yourself  compelled  to  do  this,  it  is 
better  to  hire  your  machine  by  the  month,  as  - 
you  hire  your  gas  stoves  by  the  year,  confining 
your  sewing  to  stated  intervals:  in  large  cities 
this  is  possible,  the  rent  of  a  machine  being 
low.  Every  effort  should  be  made  to  keep  the 
sentiment  of  a  bedroom  intact.  Proper  as  this 
is  in  all  places,  it  becomes  imperative  in  a  flat, 
where  every  room  is  on  one  floor,  and  where 
almost  unconsciously  one  permits  the  proper- 
ties of  one  room  to  encroach  upon  those  of  an- 
other to  the  detriment  of  them  all. 

It  is  not  possible  to  insist   too  strongly  on 
this  point,  since  the  whole  question  of  flat-  , 
dwelling  implies,  unhappily,  the  sacrifice  of 
many  a  cherished  household  tradition,  and  an 
entering  into  new  conditions  forced  upon  the 

0 

modern  man  and  woman  by  the  exigencies 
of  the  times.  The  never-ending  struggle  of  the 
flat-dweller,  then,  should  be  above  all  to  respect 
and  preserve  certain  long-established  laws  of  living, 
and  in  doing  this,  at  the  same  time  to  yield  with 
all  possible  grace  to  the  limitations  and  exactions  of 
the  new  economic  order.  The  bedroom  of  a  flat 
should  be  reserved  as  a  bedroom,  the  parlor  as  a 
parlor,  no  matter  at  what  cost  of  labor  and  incon- 
venience. Otherwise  life  in  an  apartment  becomes 

78 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

a  hodge-podge,  and  the  graces  and  amenities  of  ex- 
istence are  sacrificed. 

The  smaller  the  bedroom  the  greater  the  need 
for  a  bare  floor  and  rugs.  It  is  impossible  to  keep 
the  room  clean  in  any  other  way.  An  apartment, 
it  must  be  remembered,  is  not  like  a  house,  which 
has  as  many  halls  as  there  are  stories.  There  is  no 
place  for  the  bedroom  furniture  when  you  clean, 
unless  you  fill  your  one  thoroughfare  with  it.  You 
cannot  sweep  your  carpet  without  moving  your  fur- 
niture, but  you  may  have  a  rug  shaken  and  a  floor 
washed  without  any  great  upheaval.  Mattings  tear 
easily,  and  should  not  be  used  in  a  room  where  a 
bed  to  be  made  must  be  drawn  out  from  the  wall. 
The  bare  floor  is  not  injured  by  the  moving  of  fur- 
niture. Its  scratches  can  be  concealed  by  a  rug,  and 
it  can  be  kept  shining  after  it  has  been  washed  by 
being  rubbed  with  a  coarse  flannel  dampened  with  a 
mere  suggestion  of  oil. 

In  the  treatment  of  the  walls,  the  size  of  the  room 
and  the  amount  of  light  admitted  must  be  taken 
into  consideration ;  also  the  position  of  the  bed,  its 
standing  against  the  wall  or  with  the  head  only 
against  it ;  and  last,  but  by  no  means  least,  is  the 
owner's  predilections  for  particular  colors.  These 
predilections  should  always  be  respected,  although 
a  woman  with  a  weakness  for  red  is  advised  to 
indulge  her  liking  sparingly  in  a  bedroom.  Red 
flowers  on  a  white  ground  may  be  introduced,  but 
the  red  should  be  scattered  and  broken,  and  relieved 
by  white.  She  may  use  it  again  in  her  draperies  if 

79 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


Combination   v/igdow  seat"    2>n.cL    booUsWelyes    Wilt   in  a 
Kali    bedroom.     Sewn. _£»et"    wide.  "The    lontf     brae tots 

a^  Vfte,  Side%  are  8«~t~  on.  "tRe  outside  e£tde  of  tfLe  WITI- 
nxak-itid  "^Re  &eat  frwr  ft«l"  Xooo'.  TR*  curve 
wa»  care_fx*ny  studied  on.  "m.e  SboV"  bw 
Ae  *(U11  *!•».«  detail"  our  of  Heavw  brown  t>*pef  an.< 
ir  h>  tke  waTI.  "T^e  sn.«lv«s  »r«  Gt>m  Oy«  to  wen  laches 

v*id«%     (XTicL   about    ei4>Vr>ecn.    lorirf. 

Vlrxder   we    teaf    i»   a.  skee   c»b\-utth. 
FH*  tower  fiKelC    i%    lw»o     incHe*     frotn.'rfle  -rioor,    -Jft.e      upper  ox 

~T%_  T  iij^i  i  ~TV  _  .     j  r*_i. 


tZ»l 


TWe  doori     are 
"The  v4 


"TL*  Woodvior\t 
X.  En^iiKc 
ld  Tn.nho«S  a 


«S  arty. 


80 


she  does  so  with  discretion,  and  now  and  then  a 
strong  note  of  red  in  a  chair  or  a  bedspread  may  be 
permitted,  but  ordinarily  red  lacks  the  freshness  and 
coolness  which  a  bedroom  should  suggest. 

There  are  an  endless  number  of  pretty  and  cheap 
papers  to  be  found;  those  showing  large  flowers, 
however,  are  not  to  be  thought  of  for  small  rooms. 
Paint,  in  many  instances,  is  better  than  any  paper, 
and  if  you  know  enough  about  mixing  colors  to 
direct  the  ordinary  painter,  or  if  you  are  sure  of 
your  workman's  appreciation  of  tones,  painted 
walls,  which  can  be  wiped  down  at  intervals,  are 
strongly  urged  ;  for,  unlike  a  house,  an  apartment 
is  apt  to  have  had  a  succession  of  tenants  before 
you  moved  in,  to  say  nothing  of  others  now  sepa- 
rated from  you  by  a  flight  of  stairs  only.  The 
possibility,  therefore,  of  having  your  bedrooms 
perennially  freshened  should  be  preserved  at  all 
hazards. 

A  small  bedroom,  especially  when  it  opens  on 
a  shaft,  may  be  made  dainty  and  attractive  by 
white  wood-work  and  walls,  an  enamelled  bed  and 
white  furniture,  white  curtains  at  the  windows, 
and  white  trimmings  for  the  bed.  If  a  color  is  de- 
sired it  may  be  added  in  several  ways.  A  colored  rug 
may  be  introduced,  —  one  of  plain  green  or  red  fill- 
ing; or  the  white  curtains  and  bedspread  may  be 
trimmed  with  a  border  of  chintz,  the  mirror  framed 
with  it ;  or  the  curtains  may  be  tied  back  with  a  color, 
and  the  small  pillow  have  ribbons  to  match.  Rib- 
bons, however,  are  absolutely  interdicted  in  a  bed- 
6  81 


room  unless  the  owner  is  able  to  replenish  them 
whenever  they  are  mussed  or  soiled.  "  Faded 
finery,"  I  once  heard  an  old  lady  say,  "  is  a  sin." 
Sometimes  I  am  inclined  to  believe  the  dear  old 
lady  was  right. 

Another  effect  may  be  produced  when  the  walls 
are  white,  —  and  white  walls  in  a  bedroom,  by  the 
way,  come  into  life,  now  and  then,  with  an  irresist- 
ible quality  of  refreshment  —  by  chintz  hangings, 
bed-trimmings,  and  slip-covers  for  the  chairs  and 
cushions.  Anatolian  cottons  are  always  satisfactory. 
Armures,  scrims,  cotton  damasks,  and  taffetas  lend 
themselves  for  different  effects.  Charming  results 
may  be  accomplished  with  some  seven-cent  flowered 
muslins  trimmed  with  white  cotton  ball-fringe,  or 
with  ruffles  of  the  same.  Ordinary  denim,  costing 
sixteen  cents  a  yard,  is  not  to  be  despised,  neither 
is  cheese-cloth  nor  silkoline.  In  fact,  there  is  an 
endless  variety  from  which  a  choice  may  be  made. 
No  wool  drapery  should  at  any  time  be  permitted. 
Embroidered  hangings,  damasks,  satins,  and  bro- 
cades, while  permissible  in  the  bedrooms  of  pala- 
tial dwellings,  are  altogether  inappropriate  in  small 
apartments,  and  mark  the  owner  as  a  person  of 
questionable  taste. 

Should  a  color  be  preferred  on  the  painted  walls, 
the  white  wood-work  still  being  preserved,  a  delicate 
rose-tone  might  be  used,  with  chintz  hangings  and 
bedspread  showing  pink  roses  on  a  pink  ground  ; 
or  white  hangings  could  still  be  used  with  the  rose- 
toned  walls,  the  hangings  being  trimmed  with  a 

82 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

chintz  border.  If  white  be  made  to  predominate, 
a  bedroom  hung  with  blue  and  white  suggests  a 
freshness  and  daintiness  that  are  delightful. 

A  warm  yellow  might  be  substituted  for  the  rose- 
tones  by  those  who  love  yellow  better.  The  bed 
could  then  be  covered  with  white,  the  hangings  at 
the  window  be  of  a  soft  yellow  trimmed  with  full 
ruffles  of  white  lace.  Charming  tones  for  the  walls 
are  made  by  mixing  orange  chrome  and  yellow,  and 
again  by  mixing  chrome  yellow  with  chrome  green. 

When  the  landlord  is  obdurate,  and  the  hideous 
oak  wood-work  of  the  small  apartment  must  be 
retained,  yellows  toning  with  the  oak  are  suggested. 
Red  with  oak  is  to  be  avoided  with  all  the  energy 
with  which  you  would  resist  an  evil  influence.  A 
dark  rich  oak  with  the  faded  red  of  a  rich  Genoese 
velvet,  like  that  we  see  in  old  Italian  and  Spanish 
chairs  and  in  libraries,  is  an  altogether  different  mat- 
ter. In  these  sumptuous  old  pieces  of  furniture 
the  combination  is  beautiful ;  but  the  inferior  light 
oak  of  modern  dwellings,  and  the  hideous  reds 
turned  out  by  the  manufacturers  of  cheap  textiles 
and  wall-papers,  produce  effects  as  unlike  the  others 
as  a  common  painted  sign  is  unlike  the  portrait  of 
a  master.  If  green  is  chosen  to  go  with  this  same 
light  oak  of  commerce,  it  must  be  chosen  carefully. 

Burlaps  makes  an  excellent  wall  covering  for  a 
small  bedroom,  especially  if  a  wall  is  likely  to  be 
rubbed  when  the  bed  is  made.  Burlaps  can  always 
be  wiped  down  with  a  cloth  dampened  with  ammo- 
nia and  water;  cleanliness,  therefore,  is  easily  pre- 
83 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

served.  Nails,  too,  can  be  driven  in  and  pulled 
out  without  leaving  a  mark.  One  bedroom,  found 
in  a  small  apartment,  has  wood-work  and  ceilings  of 
white,  and  walls  covered  with  green  burlaps.  The 
candlesticks  on  the  bureau  are  of  green  Dutch 
pottery.  The  bedspread  and  valance  are  of  a  green 
armure  that  costs  thirty-five  cents  a  yard.  They 
are  trimmed  with  a  narrow  gimp  shot  with  green. 
Just  below  the  pillow  and  in  the  middle  of  the 
spread  the  owner's  monogram  appears,  worked  on 
the  armure  with  yellow  gimp.  This  monogram  might 
have  been  repeated  in  the  upper  right-hand  corner 
of  the  curtain,  and  so  help  to  increase  the  impres- 
sion of  a  set  design  having  been  followed  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  room.  A  white  bed  pushed 
back  against  the  wall  in  so  small  a  room  would 
have  presented  too  violent  a  contrast.  Even  so 
high  a  headpiece  as  that  shown  in  the  illustra- 
tion is  objectionable.  A  light  paper,  altering  the 
conditions,  would  have  necessitated  an  alteration  in 
the  treatment  of  the  room.  But  a  light  paper  was 
not  possible  unless  the  landlord  had  been  willing  to 
change  it  every  year,  for  the  cleanest  of  housemaids' 
dresses,  rubbing  against  the  space  back  of  the  bed 
when  it  was  pulled  out  to  be  made,  would  soon  have 
left  marks  that  would  have  destroyed  any  impres- 
sion of  daintiness  otherwise  conveyed. 

To  be  properly  appointed,  the  beds  should  have 
bolsters,  not  pillows,  under  the  cover.  A  difficult 
problem  is  touched  upon  here.  In  houses  having 
ample  closet  room  pillows  can  be  concealed  by  day, 

84 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  bolsters  made  of  hair  or  pasteboard  or  papier- 
mache  can  be  brought  out.  But  closet  room  suffi- 
cient for  the  hiding  of  pillows  all  day  is  never 


Oak.  irufro-p  _G-ATn.c  , 


found  except  in  apartments  that  rent  for  seven  or 
eight  thousand  dollars  a  year,  —  apartments  that  to 
all  intents  and  purposes  are  only  houses  grouped 

85 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

for  convenience  under  one  general  roof.  In  ordi- 
nary apartments,  then,  the  pillows  must  be  left 
under  the  cover  unless  one  has  a  papier-mache  bol- 
ster made,  to  open  and  shut  with  hinges  and 
springs,  into  which  the  pillows  can  be  put  every 
morning. 

The  "  four-poster  "  has  been  hung  with  a  flowered 
cretonne,  low  in  tone,  to  harmonize  with  the  walls, 
the  mahogany  furniture,  and  wood-work.  This 
room  overlooks  a  square,  and  is  large  enough  to 
hold  both  a  dressing  and  a  night  table,  with  its 
candle,  at  the  head  of  the  bed.  The  seat  in  front 
of  the  dressing-table,  it  will  be  noticed,  has  no  back. 
Opposite  this  dressing-table  the  bureau  and  wash- 
stand  are  placed,  while  between  them,  with  its  head 
toward  the  windows  and  coming  out  from  the  wall, 
stands  the  lounge. 

It  is  almost  impossible,  when  discussing  the  ap- 
pointments of  bedrooms  in  apartments,  to  insist 
upon  the  presence  of  certain  articles  as  essential. 
Questions  of  space  alter  almost  every  condition. 
The  bed  we  know  to  be  essential,  and  no  considera- 
tion should  induce  any  one  to  use  a  folding-bed. 
In  a  flat,  as  has  been  said  so  often,  the  supreme 
effort  should  be  to  keep  as  far  as  possible  to  the 
traditions  of  a  house,  avoiding  makeshifts,  and 
preserving  the  dignities  in  whatever  you  do.  The 
bureau,  dressing-table,  night-table,  and  reading- 
table,  the  washstand,  wardrobe,  couch,  and  chairs, 
should  all  be  present,  but  the  eternal  compromises 
have  to  go  on.  You  must  content  yourself  at  times 

86 


"IN    ORDINARY    APARTMENTS,  THEN,  THE    PILLOWS    MUST    BE    LEFT 
UNDER    THE    COVER" 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

with  a  bureau,  a  mirror,  and  no  dressing-table.  You 
cannot  always  have  a  couch,  but  you  can  always, 
in  your  hangings,  candles,  pictures,  and  flowers, 
surround  yourself  with  appointments  so  pretty  and 
appropriate  that  even  dwellers  in  houses  may  want 
to  take  from  you  an  occasional  hint. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   VI 


BEDROOMS  :    HOUSES 


W 


HEN  one  considers  what 
the  bedroom  suggests  in 
the  way  of  personal  habits,  re- 
finements, and  niceties  of 
life,  a  more  than  particular 
interest  in  it  excites  no  sur- 
prise, since  a  discussion  of 
its  appointments  involves 
questions  not  only  of 
beauty  and  fitness,  but  of 
health,  and  a  rounded  de- 
velopment as  well.  The 
man  or  woman  who  has 
not  slept  well  is  the  man 
or  woman  who  cannot  work 
well ;  and  though  an  ability 
to  sleep  well  depends  pri- 
marily upon  a  certain  men- 
tal repose,  there  are  many  of  us  who  cannot  get 
that  repose  in  uncongenial  or  unwholesome  sur- 
roundings. The  stuffy  effects  which  are  produced 
by  heavy  hangings  or  thick  carpets  would  keep 
some  awake  all  night.  A  thousand  odors  seem  to 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

lodge  in  them  —  stale,  profitless  suggestions  of 
other  days,  when  the  sun  was  not  allowed  to  shine, 
nor  any  breeze  to  blow,  upon  them.  I  could 
almost  fancy  myself  surrounded  by  former  deni- 
zens of  the  room,  persons  with  whom  I  should  not 
have  a  sympathy  in  common. 

Neither  could  I  sleep  with  maroon  on  the  walls  ; 
and  many  patients  convalescing  from  fevers  have 
told  us  what  mental  tortures  they  endured  when 
forced  to  study  from  their  pillows  two  vines  that 
would  not  meet,  or  some  geometrical  figure  that 
went  on  repeating  itself  indefinitely.  There  are 
women  who  will  lie  awake  all  night  unless,  as  they 
express  it,  they  can  feel  the  sunlight  in  the  feathers 
under  their  heads,  and  who  insist  that  their  pillows 
shall  be  sunned  all  day,  first  on  one  side,  then  on 
the  other.  Some  doctors  will  not  rest  in  rooms  con- 
taining any  furniture  except  the  bed  and  night-table, 
—  no  carpet,  no  hangings,  no  upholstered  things 
being  permitted.  I  have  sometimes  been  tempted 
to  compare  the  bedroom  to  some  secret  chamber  of 
the  soul,  where  the  individual  retires  for  the  refresh- 
ment which  shall  enable  him  to  meet  whatever  diffi- 
culties his  position  may  entail.  For  that  reason, 
it  seems  to  me  that,  like  water,  or  air,  meant  for  the 
refreshment  of  man,  it  should  suggest  a  perennial 
purity.  And  certainly  this  has  been  the  ideal  of 
all  advanced  civilizations  —  whatever  their  customs, 
or  the  exigencies  of  particular  climates,  the  question 
of  the  freshness  and  daintiness  of  the  sleeping  apart- 
ments has  never  been  neglected.  It  might  seem 

89 


HOMES   AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

unnecessary  to  accentuate  with  such  persistence  the 
need  of  exercising  a  like  care  among  ourselves,  ex- 
cept that  we  see  the  subject  so  often  neglected. 
I  remember  a  young  girl's  bedroom  into  which  I 
was  once  ushered  with  pride  by  her  mother.  An 
old  pair  of  woollen  curtains  hung 
at  the  window,  —  a  pair  sent  up- 
stairs when  the  front  parlor  was 
done  over  and  they  seemed  too 
shabby  for  the  first  floor  ;  the  table 
was  covered  by  another  discarded 
article,  of  fringed  woollen ;  the 
wash  stand,  in  an  alcove,  was 
concealed  in  similar  fashion. 
I  did  not  wonder  at  the  ill 
health  of  the  young  girl. 
The  family  doctor  said  it 
was  a  case  of  nerves.  He 
never  suspected  the  curtains. 
In  simple  town  or  country 
houses,  white  woodwork  is  to 
be  preferred,  and  when  there 
is  a  wainscoting  of  white 
wood,  a  most  interesting  ad- 

gr   cototfTy  c51fcrf«s.   ^idon   is   made  to  the  sim- 
plest of  bed-chambers.    The 

ugly  walnut  of  many  old-fashioned  town-house  bed- 
rooms is  to  be  avoided ;  where  it  exists  it  should, 
if  possible,  be  painted.  The  impression  it  makes  is 
one  of  heaviness  and  gloom,  the  wood  seldom  being 
beautiful  enough  to  justify  its  preservation.  Pan- 
go 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

elled  walls,  like  those  of  old  European  houses,  are 
another  matter :  the  wood-work  to  which  I  refer  is 
that  which  is  found  in  the  city  house  of  a  former  day, 
when  expensive  wood,  preferably  walnut,  was  used 
in  and  about  the  doorways  and  windows,  and  cher- 
ished as  the  best  evidence  of  the  owner's  opulence. 
Houses  in  Fifth  Avenue,  once  regarded  with  pride 
by  the  moneyed  magnates  who  dwelt  there,  and  now 
used  as  tailor's  fitting-rooms,  are  filled  with  this  sort 
of  decoration. 

When,  as  is  often  the  case  in  a  rented  house 
owned  by  an  obdurate  landlord,  it  is  necessary  to 
retain  this  wood-work,  the  question  of  paper  or 
paint  for  the  walls  should  be  considered  with  es- 
pecial care.  Violent  contrasts  between  wood  and 
walls  must  be  avoided.  The  tapestry  paper,  which, 
with  such  wood,  is  often  good  in  dining-rooms,  is 
too  heavy  for  a  sleeping-room.  There  are,  how- 
ever, excellent  flowered  papers  which  imitate  old 
chintzes  and  Indian  cottons,  papers  in  which  the 
white  ground  is  not  too  defined,  and  in  which  the 
foliage  is  closely  matched.  I  saw  one  such  paper  in 
a  certain  room.  It  had  soft  pink  and  brown  chrysan- 
themums, with  massed  pale  leaves.  The  green  dra- 
peries of  the  room  then  took  up  the  greens  of  the 
leaves  and  the  colors  of  the  flowers.  They  might 
equally  well  have  taken  up  the  golden  browns. 
All  the  furniture  was  dark.  A  white  enamelled  bed 
would  have  stood  out  too  clearly.  The  decora- 
tions were  low  in  key ;  the  light  effects,  so  desir- 
able in  a  bedroom,  were  obtained  by  the  mirrors 

91 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  pictures  being  framed  without  mats  in  dull 
gold.  There  was  little  on  the  walls ;  the  surfaces 
were  broken  by  tall  mirrors  to  the  height  of  the 
doors.  Brass  and  crystal  added  to  the  general 
air  of  pleasantness.  Fish  bowls  were  filled 
with  roses  and  ferns.  The  thin  curtains  at  the 
windows  were  not  white,  but  cream.  I  know  an- 
other of  these  bedrooms  done  with  yellow  walls 
and  mahogany  furniture,  the  four-post  bedstead 
being  hung  with  a  yellow  damask. 

In  the  choice  of  a  color  for  the  bedroom,  indi- 
vidual predilections  should  be  permitted,  even  if 
opposed  to  those  which  rule  the  rest  of  the  house- 
hold. A  bedroom  means  an  individual  possession, 
a  retreat  in  which  the  owner  should  be  supreme. 
The  rest  of  the  house  must,  in  its  arrangement, 
take  into  consideration  the  needs  of  the  family  as  a 
whole,  have  regard  to  the  place  which  that  family 
holds  in  life;  but  in  a  bedroom  special  attention 
should  be  paid  to  the  taste  of  the  person  or  the 
child  whose  province  it  is. 

Color  can  be  introduced  in  paper,  paint,  or  hang- 
ings. In  rooms  occupied  by  servants  who  come 
and  go,  paint,  of  course,  is  a  necessity.  It  is  pref- 
erable in  nurseries,  unless  the  paper  can  be  changed 
at  frequent  intervals,  or,  having  been  treated  with 
varnish,  can  be  washed. 

Flowers  on  a  white  ground,  up  and  down  stripes, 
soft  tones  of  a  solid  color  with  a  border  of  flowers 
on  a  white  ground,  will,  when  the  colors  and  designs 
are  good,  suggest  that  charming  freshness  without 

92 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

which  no  bedroom  is  successful.  When  a  room  is 
long  and  narrow,  large-flowered  paper  should  be 
avoided  ;  indistinct  up  and  down  stripes  are  prefer- 
able. In  such  a  room,  too,  a  wainscoting,  or  a  dado, 
or  a  line  of  book-shelves,  is  strongly  urged;  not  that 
the  room  may  be  given  a  "  decorated  "  look,  but 
that  the  wall  surfaces  may  be  broken,  and  the  upper 
parts  supported.  And  books,  by  the  way,  belong 
to  bedrooms,  unless  there  is  a  morning-room 
reserved  for  the  special  use  of  the  individual.  For 
persons  wanting  to  read  at  night  there  should  be 
books  on  the  night-table.  A  curtain  over  a  book- 
shelf is  only  a  cheap  device,  never  to  be  recom- 
mended, although  the  fashion  is  bound  to  appeal  to 
those  who  have  shabby  books  to  conceal,  or  shelves 
without  any.  When  curtains  are  insisted  upon, 
they  should  be  of  a  wash  material.  When  one  has 
valuable  books  to  protect,  which  are  not  daily  com- 
panions, glass  doors  are  used,  and  sometimes  the 
glass  is  leaded. 

When  the  wood-work  is  white  the  ceiling  should  be 
tinted  to  match  the  lighter  tones  of  the  walls,  although 
a  pretty  fashion  now  permits  the  use  of  flowered 
paper  overhead,  which  must,  however,  run  down 
from  the  ceiling  to  the  picture-moulding  a  foot  or 
two  below.  In  a  low-ceiled  room  with  curved  or 
broken  ceiling,  the  solid  color  will  often  run  only 
to  a  height  of  five  feet,  the  flowered  ceiling  being 
brought  down  to  it.  Here  is  a  pretty  plan  :  A 
ceiling  and  frieze  of  roses  on  a  white  ground,  the 
darkest  tone  of  the  leaves  repeating  itself  on  the 

93 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

walls  in  burlaps  or  cartridge  paper.  This  green 
color  should  also  be  repeated  in  a  plain  carpet. 
The  rose  tones  are  introduced  again  in  soft  hang- 
ings against  the  panes,  while  the  roses  reappear  in 
the  chintz  of  the  curtains  and  cushions.  In  some 
English  inns  and  country-house  bedrooms  the 
flowered  paper  covering  the  walls  is  copied  in  the 
chintz  which  frames  the  windows  (the  ceilings  are 
left  white),  and  the  bed  is  trimmed  with  white. 

Cream  white  wood-work,  cream  white  bookcases 
with  leaded  glass  doors,  and  hangings  of  velveteen 
toned  like  that  of  the  mullein  stalk,  make  the  foun- 
dation of  a  charming  room.  Some  of  the  plans 
suggested  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  apartment  bed- 
rooms may  be  followed  in  those  of  houses. 

It  seems  almost  impossible  to  lay  down  stringent 
rules  about  the  floors  of  sleeping-rooms  in  houses,  as 
one  may  for  those  in  flats  and  apartments  where  the 
rooms  are  small,  and  there  is  no  way  of  moving  out 
furniture  for  sweeping.  Prejudices  for  and  against 
carpets  seem  bred  in  the  bone,  and  are  not  to  be  over- 
come by  reason.  Every  law  of  hygiene,  however, 
makes  for  the  bare  floor  and  the  rug,  for  something 
in  which  there  can  be  no  lurking  of  a  microbe,  now 
the  bugbear  of  all  quickened  consciences.  In  the 
chapter  devoted  to  the  subject  of  floors,  suggestions 
will  be  given  for  their  treatment. 

It  is  only  when  a  house  has  been  carefully  designed 
that  a  bedroom  mantel  is  made  as  it  should  be,  bear- 
ing a  relationship  to  the  rest  of  the  room.  A  good 
mantel  must  receive  a  more  or  less  formal  treat- 

94 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


ment,  and  in  its  decoration  carry  out  the  design  or 
the  plan  of  the  architect  or  of  the  period  which  he 
follows.  The  clocks  and  the  candlesticks  should 
belong  to  the  fashion  of  the  mantel,  and  not  repre- 
sent haphazard  purchases. 

The  fireplaces  and  mantels  of  the  ordinary  bed- 
room, on  the  other  hand,  put  up  by  contractors,  are 
seldom  more  than  apologies,  hideous  to  behold. 
They  lend  themselves  to  the  most  informal  treatment, 
and  may  be  filled  with  the  photographs 
of  friends,  with  books,  and  with  those 
pieces  of  bric-a-brac  with  which  there 
may  be  a  particular  association,  yet 
which  have  no  value  in  themselves. 
Mantels  should  not  be  draped  unless 
necessity  requires  it  —  by  necessity  I 
mean  the  existence  of  lines  so  ugly 
that  their  softening  or  con- 
cealment becomes  imperative. 
When  a  covering  is  used,  it 
should  match  the  other  hang- 
ings. It  is  only  with  the  paint- 
ing, however  (and  the  mantle 
must  be  painted  to  match  the 
rest  of  the  wood-work)  that  the 
householder  should  concern  her- 
self before  establishing  her  be- 
longings. 

The  articles  necessary  to  an  ordinary  bedroom 
are :  the  bed,  the  bureau  or  dressing-table,  the 
night-table,  some  chairs,  and  if  there  be  no  boudoir 

95 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

or  morning-room  attached,  the  lounge,  the  reading- 
table,  the  writing-table  or  desk,  some  shelves  for 
books  (never  the  cheap  hanging  shelf,  however, 
that  is  suspended  from  a  picture  moulding).  If 
there  be  no  bathroom  or  dressing-room  for  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  occupant,  there  must  of  course 
be  the  washstand,  ugly  as  it  is.  If  two  persons  must 
occupy  the  same  room,  the  screen  is  essential. 

Of  course  in  the  arrangement  of  these  various 
pieces  of  furniture,  the  size  and  proportions  of  the 
room  must  be  taken  into  consideration,  the  positions 
of  the  doors,  windows,  and  fireplace,  as  well  as  the 
needs  of  the  occupants.  When  the  arrangement 
has  been  completed  you  have  the  tact,  the  taste,  the 
ingenuity  of  the  occupant  displayed.  Here  she 
proves  herself,  unfolds  her  character,  her  grace,  her 
knowledge  of  requirements,  her  personal  habits,  and 
her  consideration  for  others.  The  problem  of  one 
bedroom  without  a  morning-room  attached,  has  been 
successfully  solved  in  this  way  : 

In  a  "  brown  stone  front"  a  double  and  a  single 
room  have  been  thrown  into  one,  giving  three  north 
windows  opening  on  the  street ;  two  doors  opposite 
these, —  one  leading  into  the  hall,  the  other  into  a 
closet  with  hot  and  cold  water.  At  right  angles  to 
the  windows  and  at  one  end  of  the  room  is  the  fire- 
place, at  the  other  end  a  blank  wall.  The  wood- 
work and  ceilings  are  white,  the  walls  covered  with 
a  flowered  paper.  The  curtains  next  the  panes  are 
white ;  the  thick  curtains  are  of  fine  old  blue  satin 
trimmed  with  a  band  two  inches  wide,  its  colors  re- 

96 


"AT   THE    FOOT    OF    THE    BED    IS   THE    COUCH    FACING   THE    FIRE" 


peating  those  in  the  paper.  In  the  middle  window, 
under  the  sash,  four  shelves  painted  white  have  been 
placed.  On  the  topmost,  taking  the  place  of  the  old- 
fashioned  sill,  are  potted  plants  in  bloom,  —  Chinese 
primroses  in  winter,  hyacinths  in  spring,  and  tulips 
when  they  first  appear,  crocuses,  and  geraniums. 
On  the  under  shelves  some  extra  books  are  placed. 
The  lower  shelf  is  not  fastened,  thus  making  it  pos- 
sible to  remove  it  when  the  room  is  swept. 

The  head  of  the  bed  goes  against  the  blank  wall 
with  the  night-table  beside  it.  At  the  foot  of  the 
bed  is  the  couch,  facing  the  fire,  one  end  being 
toward  the  window.  To  the  right  of  the  couch,  on 
the  side  nearest  the  window,  is  the  reading-table, 
with  its  books,  flowers,  and  work-basket.  A  low 
chair  stands  by  this  table ;  another  chair  is  at  the 
other  end  of  the  couch.  In  this  way,  as  it  will  be 
seen,  all  the  movement  of  those  who  enter  the  room 
is  from  the  bed  —  which  becomes  a  subordinate  fea- 
ture during  the  day  —  and  toward  the  fireplace,  the 
living  part  of  the  room  being  in  front  of  the  fire, 
between  the  couch  and  chairs.  Even  the  lights  for 
reading]  have  been  arranged  to  make  this  concentra- 
tion of  interests  possible.  In  no  other  place  could 
the  couch  and  table  have  the  same  results. 

The  writing-table  is  between  the  fireplace  and  the 
window,  which  arrangement  permits  the  light  to 
fall  over  the  left  shoulder.  To  balance  this  table, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  fireplace  is  a  tall  chiffb- 
niere.  Between  each  of  the  windows  are  dressing- 
tables,  one  being  reserved  for  the  hair,  the  other  for 
7  97 


tfOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  last  touches  of  the  toilette,  the  putting  on  of  the 
hat,  and  so  forth.  Between  the  two  doors  is  a  high 
chest  with  drawers  below,  and  shelves  protected  by 
doors  above  for  the  bonnets.  On  the  door  lead- 
ing into  the  closet  and  completely  covering  it,  is  a 
mirror  with  bevelled  edges  and  no  frame.  A  mirror 
on  the  door,  by  the  way,  is  a  delightful  addition  to 
a  bedroom.  Another  mirror  is  over  the  mantel. 
All  the  furniture  is  of  mahogany  except  the  bed, 
which  is  painted  white  and  trimmed  with  white,  as 
it  was  when  first  imported  into  this  country  from 
France  a  century  or  more  ago.  Every  provision  for 
comfort  has  been  made  in  this  room,  the  owner 
having,  as  I  said,  no  morning-room  at  her  command. 
When  there  is  a  morning-room,  or  library,  as  it  is 
apt  to  be  called  in  New  York,  the  bedroom  is  with- 
out books  or  writing-table.  Thus  with  white  wood- 
work and  ceiling  and  fireplace,  there  is  in  another 
brown  stone  house  a  bedroom  with  flowered  paper. 
A  bathroom  immediately  adjoins  this,  and  is  re- 
served for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  owner.  The 
bed  is  opposite  the  fireplace  and  lengthwise  against 
the  wall,  its  head  toward  the  window,  and  protected 
by  a  tall  screen.  It  is  of  white  enamel  trimmed  with 
brass,  the  valance  and  cover  of  finely  embroidered 
French  muslin  over  pink.  The  curtains,  chairs, 
and  couch  cover  are  of  chintz  with  pink  flowers. 
There  are  two  windows  to  the  south  in  this  room, 
the  couch  going  lengthwise  between  them.  The 
toilet-table  stands  at  right  angles  to  the  window. 
Two  tall  chifFonieres  stand,  one  between  the  fire- 

98 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

place  and  door,  the  other  between  the  two  closet 
doors.  No  necessity  for  the  exercise  of  particular 
tact  in  the  arrangement  of  furniture  existed  in  this 
room,  which  is  reserved  for  the  use  of  one  person, 
and  as  a  place  in  which  to  sleep  and  dress  only. 
Therefore  her  need  alone  had  to  be  considered. 
The  owner's  taste,  then,  has  been  displayed  in  know- 
ing just  what  should  be  left  out. 

Curiously  enough,  the  disposition  of  a  bedroom 
lounge  often  presents  itself  as  a  perplexing  problem 
to  householders,  who  imagine  it  must  go  flat  against 
the  wall  or  out  of  the  room  altogether.  The  dis- 
position of  such  a  lounge,  intended  as  it  is  for  after- 
noon naps,  or  whatever  quiet  is  taken  with  a  book 
or  a  needle,  is  to  be  studied  from  its  owner's  point  of 
view  only,  not  as  seats  must  be  studied  in  a  parlor 
where  the  point  of  view  of  a  visitor  or  of  the  family 
as  a  whole  must  be  considered.  There  should  be 
a  table  beside  the  couch  for  the  holding  of  a  lamp 
and  books. 

When  this  couch  is  placed  in  a  corner  with  its 
head  toward  the  window,  a  table  by  its  side,  and 
with  a  row  of  book-shelves  immediately  behind  it, 
it  not  only  helps  to  make  an  agreeable  composition 
in  a  room,  but  adds  to  the  comfort  and  the  pleasure 
of  the  idler,  who  has  only  to  lift  her  hand  to  take 
what  books  she  chooses  from  the  shelf.  But  wher- 
ever it  may  be  placed,  the  presence  of  this  lounge  is 
imperative  in  all  bedrooms,  and  it  is  only  when  a 
room  is  too  small  to  admit  it,  that  its  absence  is  to 
be  excused.  It  should  have  on  it  a  pillow  or  two, 

99 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  a   soft  silk  blanket  neatly  folded  for  covering 
the  feet. 

Sometimes,  there  are  six  or  seven  of  these  soft 
pillows,  each  pillow  being  finer  and  more  beautifully 
laid  than  the  other.  When  the  couch  is  like  a  divan 
and  pushed  against  the  wall,  larger  pillows  are  pro- 
vided as  well,  in  heavy  linen  covers  that  have  been 


"Very    fnc  Cmpir*  WTC»«JL  ,  no*  in  KU 


embroidered  and  trimmed  with  inlays  of  heavy  lace. 
The  large  furniture  establishments  are  full  of  couches 
from  which  a  selection  may  be  made.  (Rooms  that 
are  made  to  follow  some  period  must  of  course  have 
couches  belonging  to  that  period,  and  if  the  house- 
holder cannot  ransack  an  old  palace  for  them,  she 
must  go  to  dealers  in  old  furniture,  not  to  designers 
of  new.)  When  one's  means  are  limited,  a  cot  cov- 


IOO 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

ered  with  chintz,  or  a  wash  material,  makes  an  ex- 
cellent couch.  Or  again,  in  simple  rooms  the  rattan 
couch  is  good,  filled  with  cushions  covered  with 
cotton  stuffs. 

Properly  speaking,  the  couch  should  never  be 
covered  with  anything  but  a  wash  material.  In 
elaborately  appointed  rooms,  satins  may  be  proper. 
Covers  of  heavy  white  lace  are  then  thrown  over 
them.  This  lace  can  be  washed.  Chintz  is  the 
generally  accepted  material.  Effects  of  upholstered 
woollens  are  altogether  reprehensible.  A  box  spring 
put  on  castors  or  a  support,  and  having  a  mattress 
on  top,  makes  a  comfortable  couch.  A  slip  cover 
can  be  made  for  it  with  a  flat  top  and  plain  side 
pieces,  the  edges  bound  with  braid.  This  cover  can 
be  taken  off  and  laundered.  Care  should  be  taken 
with  the  braid.  Something  of  cotton,  not  wool, 
should  be  used,  otherwise  the  braid  shrinks  and 
the  cover  is  rendered  useless. 

When  a  guest-room  is  to  be  arranged,  extra  care 
is  required.  In  the  furnishing  of  the  guest-room 
there  is  greater  need  for  the  exercise  of  tact  than 
in  any  other  room  of  a  house.  Nowhere  else  does 
a  hostess  reveal  herself  so  plainly  as  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  her  guest-rooms — not  in  her  plans  for 
a  dinner-party,  nor  in  her  selection  of  flowers  or 
other  details  of  entertaining. 

Guests  on  a  visit  are,  in  reality,  at  the  mercy 
of  their  hostess,  and  although  we  should  train  our 
children  to  carry  all  the  necessities  of  their  toilet 
with  them,  even  their  writing  materials,  still,  now 

101 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  then  a  guest  starting  off  in  a  hurry  forgets 
something,  or,  going  to  spend  Sunday  only,  has 
hesitated  about  taking  a  trunk  sufficiently  large  to 
hold  her  possessions.  Then,  too,  few  visitors  wish 
to  bother  their  hostess  about  the  coming  and  going 
of  the  trains  or  the  mails,  or  for  a  glove-button  or  a 
shoestring.  The  tactful  hostess  should  prepare  for 
emergencies. 

I  wish  a  guest-room  in  a  certain  college  town 
might  be  taken  as  a  model.  It  has  four  large 
windows,  the  fireplace  being  between  the  two 
side  ones.  Opposite  the  front  windows  were  the 
closet  doors.  Opposite  the  fireplace  were  two  single 
beds,  each  with  a  night-table  and  an  electric  light 
arranged  for  reading.  On  one  side  of  these  a  door 
led  into  the  hall ;  on  the  other  side  another  door 
led  into  the  bathroom,  a  bathroom  with  provision 
made  in  it  for  all  imaginable  needs  of  its  guests. 

At  the  foot  of  the  two  beds  and  opposite  the  fire- 
place was  the  couch.  On  a  table  near  by  were  a 
dozen  of  the  latest  books,  and  a  silk  work-bag  filled 
with  buttons,  threads,  needles,  hooks  and  eyes.  A 
tall  chest  of  drawers  stood  between  the  two  front 
windows.  None  of  my  hostess's  best  dresses  were 
tucked  away  in  it.  Between  the  fireplace  and 
one  window  stood  the  dressing-table ;  between  the 
mantel  and  the  other  window,  the  desk.  This  desk 
had  not  only  pens,  paper,  inks,  pencils,  stamps, 
blotter,  rubber-bands,'  mucilage,  twine,  sealing-wax, 
candle,  and  pen-wiper,  but  a  calendar,  a  time-table, 
and  a  list  of  the  arrivals  and  departures  of  the  mails. 


IO2 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


And  the  dressing-table !  Not  only  were  there 
brushes  and  combs,  hat  and  clothes-brushes,  nail- 
files  and  scissors,  shoe-horns,  pins,  hat  and  bonnet- 
pins,  toilet  powder,  but  a  tube  of  cream  for  chapped 
hands,  and  a  bottle  of  soda-mint  tablets.  I  never 
knew  any  other  woman  to  remember  the  soda- 
mint  tablets.  On  the  table  .at  the  head  of  the 
bed  was  a  night- 
taper  in  a  glass  for 
the  timid  sleeper 
afraid  of  the  dark. 
A  clock  stood  on 
the  mantel,  going ! 


cwt- 


The  fireplace  was 
not  empty.  The  logs  were 
laid,  the  matches  ready,  the 
fire-irons  near  by  with  a  basket 
of  wood,  when  you  wanted  to 
replenish  the  blaze. 

The  wood-work  and  ceiling 

of  this  room  were  white,  the  paper  a  fine  yellow-and- 
white  stripe ;  the  beds  and  all  the  furniture  of  ma- 
hogany. White  dotted  muslin  hung  next  the  panes, 
chintz  curtains  over  it. 

Mahogany  furniture  is  a  desideratum  in  the 
lives  of  all  householders,  but  a  bedroom  can  still 
be  made  pretty  without  it,  if  only  light  yellow 
oak  beds  and  bureaus  have  found  no  lodgement 
in  them.  Then  the  case  is  almost  hopeless.  Paint 
the  oak  white  if  you  must  have  it  at  all.  Subor- 
dinate it.  Get  it  out  of  your  way.  Otherwise 

103 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

you  will  sink  your  furnishing  to  its  level,  instead 
of  lifting  the  room  above  it. 

If  you  are  in  doubt  about  what  should    go  on 
your  bureau,  —  and  many  people  are,  —  remember 

that,  like  the  sideboard,  the 
well-appointed  bureau  or 
dressing-table  must  be  first 
of  all  in  spotless  order,  and 
then  be  pretty.  No  hand- 
kerchief-cases should  lie  on 
it,  nor  plush  boxes  for 
brushes  and  perfumes,  nor 
any  materials  manufactured 
for  the  catching  of  dust. 
Photographs  in  frames  are 
permissible,  brushes  and 
combs  that  are  made  for  the 
purpose,  with  gold,  silver, 
ivory,  tortoise-shell,  or 
wooden  backs,  but  never 
the  cheap  ordinary  brush 
which  has  no  pretension  to 
beauty  and  which  should 
be  kept  out  of  sight. 
I  have  sometimes  been  asked  what  distinction 
should  be  made  between  articles  placed  on  a  dress- 
ing-table or  a  bureau  by  correspondents  who  have 
evidently  not  understood  that  bureaus  were  invented 
for  those  who  had  no  dressing-tables,  or  that  a  ques- 
tion of  economy  of  space  had  governed  the  invention 
of  the  bureau.  If,  therefore,  you  have  only  a  bureau 

104 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


in  a  bedroom,  and  must  dress  by  its  mirror,  this 
bureau  should  be  filled  with  fine  toilet  articles, 
brushes,  combs,  perfumes,  and  so  forth.  If  you 
have  a  dressing-table,  however,  you  do  not  want  a 

bureau    in    the    room, 

» 

but  a  chest  of  drawers, 
either  large  or  small, 
for  holding  under- 
clothes, handkerchiefs, 
gloves,  and  veils. 

A  dressing-table  is 
literally  what  its  name 
implies,  --a  table  to 
dress  by.  It  is  so  made 
that  the  knees  of  the 
person  who  sits  before 
it  need  not  be  ob- 
structed as  they  would 
be  by  the  drawers  of  a  bureau.  It  contains  no 
drawers  except  for  extra  toilet  articles.  If  by  any 
chance  there  should  be  both  a  bureau  and  a  dress- 
ing-table in  the  room,  I  should  prefer  removing  the 
mirror  from  the  bureau  and  treating  the  bureau 
as  a  chest  of  drawers.  The  mirror  can  be  used 
elsewhere. 

When  the  purchase  of  a  dressing-table  is  an 
impossibility,  one  can  easily  be  manufactured  by 
covering  an  ordinary  pine  kitchen-table  with  denim. 
Across  the  top,  however,  there  should  always  be  a 
linen  or  wash  cover,  readily  removed  to  be  shaken 
or  washed.  White  muslin,  dotted,  embroidered,  or 

105 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

plain,  over  a  color,  makes  a  daintier  table,  of  course, 
than  the  denim,  but  less  durable. 

The  mirror  over  the  dressing-table  can  -be  draped 
like  the  table,  with  the  muslin  ;  while  dimity  with 
an  old-fashioned  fringe,  or  a  pretty  chintz  lined 
with  a  color,  can  be  used  in  the  same  way.  When 
the  legs  of  the  table  are  square,  they  can  be  covered 
with  a  chintz  or  cretonne,  the  material  to  be  nailed 
on  with  brass-headed  tacks.  But  whatever  the 
material  chosen  or  the  fashion  followed,  the  wash 
cover  laid  across  the  top  is  essential. 


1 06 


CHAPTER   VII 

BEDS    AND    BED-LINEN 

HE  most  important  feature  in  every 
bedroom  is,  of  course,  the  bed,  and 
nearly  every  one  has  some  fad 
about  it.  Certain  monarchs,  who 
had  been  soldiers  as  well,  would 
never,  even  in  their  palaces,  sleep 
on  anything  but  the  iron  cots  to 
which  their  service  in  camps  had 
accustomed  them.  The  kings  and 
queens  of  other  days  slept  in  four- 
post  arrangements  more  like  royal 
hearses  than  anything  else,  so 

,    •  i  ,1  •  u  ,  j. 

trimmed  were  they  with  nodding 
J 

Plumes  and  neav7  funereal  hang- 
ings. In  one  French  palace  the 
guide  will  lift  a  coverlet  belonging  to  the  bed  slept 
in  by  a  certain  Louis  and  his  spouse,  and  show  you 
the  mattress  divided,  the  king's  side  hard  as  a  rock, 
the  queen's  side  soft.  In  our  day,  in  the  larger 
establishments,  two  beds  are  often  placed  side  by 
side,  with  a  small  table  for  books  and  candle  be- 
tween. At  other  times,  the  single  headboard  em- 
braces hinged  bed-frames,  which  can  be  swung  apart 

107 


TBeclroom.    Caracl1eslVc)<. 

Drown  po11cT<j  %<'im__ 

cloyer 


HOMES  AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

to  be  made  up  according  to  the  preference  of  the 
prospective  occupant,  and  then  pushed  together 
and  covered  by  the  same  spread. 

I  know  a  trained  nurse  who  is  as  fussy  about  her 
bed  as  any  monarch  who  has  been  accustomed  to 
a  camp.  She  will  not  get  into  a  bed  with  a  valance 
on  it.  She  thinks  of  microbes.  Her  hospital  life 
taught  her  that.  She  fancies  that  no  bed  is  well 
made  unless  it  looks  like  one  in  a  public  ward,  open 
for  the  inspection  of  the  doctors,  —  not  a  hanging 
visible,  and  every  vestige  of  an  end  tucked  safely 
up,  like  the  petticoats  of  a  woman  who  must  pick 
her  way  across  a  muddy  street.  On  some  other  per- 
sons whom  I  know,  a  guilty  conscience  would  never 
press  as  heavily  as  an  eider-down  quilt.  They  de- 
clare that  as  many  physical  ills  are  inherited  with 
ancestral  feathers  as  atavism  produces  in  the  moral 
world. 

The  carved  beds  of  some  ancient  Swiss  land- 
owners were  nothing  more  than  wooden  closets, 
which  could  be  wheeled  about  the  room,  and  into 
which  their  owners  could  creep,  barring  the  door 
behind  them,  secure  against  the  assault  of  an  enemy, 
or  the  more  insidious  effects  of  a  draught.  Orien- 
tals sleep  on  divans,  in  some  districts  without  re- 
moving their  clothes.  They  maintain,  however, 
that  the  custom  is  more  cleanly  than  our  own, 
since  they  not  only  bathe  before  sleeping,  but  many 
times  during  the  day. 

Every  new  departure  in  household  decoration, 
each  new  law  of  hygiene,  seems  to  bring  about  new 

1 08 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


fashions  in  beds.  In  our  day  we  have  not  only 
revived  some  of  the  models  of  old  times,  but  we 
have,  for  the  sake  of  cleanliness,  gone  extensively 
into  metal  and  brass  bedsteads.  The  white-enamel 
bed  is  always  in  good  taste  unless  too  elaborately 
trimmed  with  brass.  Even  when  a  bedroom  is  fur- 
nished in  old  mahogany,  the  enamelled  bed,  if  of 


SiTkmuslm 


over  bed. 


iTkmuslm   mo&op.i'te-ngti2^  over     e.      «r,a% 
looped    back  iivtft.a    da^  trine  ,<ar«.  dropped  t\~  n\«{Kf7 


good  design,  never  offends.  These  beds  may  be 
single  or  double,  plain  or  trimmed  with  brass. 
Sometimes  the  four  corners  are  finished  with  up- 
right pieces  to  support  a  tester,  so  that  the  bed  may 
be  hung  as  a  four-poster.  Such  a  bed  is  strongly 
urged  for  dwellers  in  country  districts  infested  with 
mosquitos,  where  nettings  are  imperative. 

109 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Our  mosquito  nets,  in  this  country,  by  the  way, 
are  wofully  ugly,  a  disfigurement  to  almost  any 
room  ;  in  Cuba,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are  so 
pretty  that  they  become  an  agreeable  feature  of  the 
bedroom.  There  the  beds  are  always  provided 
with  upright  posts  at  the  four  corners,  supporting 
the  tester.  The  netting  is  then  stretched  flat  across 
the  top,  and  falls  as  curtains  around  the  bed,  the 
edges  of  which  are  ruffled  or  trimmed  with  color. 
Malaria,  and  worse  than  all,  as  experiments  in  Cuba 
have  proved,  yellow  fever  itself,  is  produced  by  the 
bite  of  the  mosquito,  so  that  to  the  Cuban  house- 
holder the  netting  is  a  necessity,  and  any  trouble 
necessary  to  make  it  pretty  is  considered  worth 
while.  In  some  houses  belonging  to  wealthy 
Cubans,  the  mosquito  nettings  are  made  of  fine 
pineapple  cloth,  while  in  Spain  a  silk  grenadine 
with  a  narrow  stripe  of  blue  is  often  used. 

On  some  of  the  modern  enamelled  beds  the 
upright  pieces  are  found  only  at  the  head,  and 
support  a  canopy  or  half-tester,  the  curtain  falling 
back  of  the  head  of  the  bed  and  on  either  side  of 
the  pillow,  in  this  way  protecting  the  shoulders 
of  sensitive  people  who  may  fear  draughts.  In 
the  hanging  of  these  curtains  and  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  canopy,  certain  old  fashions  prevailing 
among  the  French  are  revived.  The  model  often- 
est  followed  is  that  of  Marie  Antoinette's  bed  in 
the  Trianon.  In  certain  country  houses,  when  the 
valance  and  the  bedspread  are  of  muslin  and 
trimmed  with  lace,  a  brass  ring  is  fastened  into  the 


no 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


ceiling  directly  over  the  centre  of  the  bed ;  into 
this  ring  a  double  brass  bar  the  width  of  the  bed  is 
inserted  horizontally,  and  so  fastened  that  a  white 
embroidered  Swiss-muslin  curtain  may  be  slipped 
through  it  and  drawn  tight.  This  curtain  falls 


An.  embroidered  muslin.  cuYjarn.  suspended.  R-o»n  a  doutfe 
forav  ro«i  "h-a-a-tfrna  from  SfiLe  ceil iraxr  »  -ft»1ts  /ov<  T- 1fee  ends 
of  the  bed  1o  lfa.g  5[po<*-.  o 

over  both  the  head  and  foot  piece  and  reaches  the 
top  of  the  hem  of  the  valance.  It  is  edged  with  a 
full  ruffle  of  lace,  and  serves  to  keep  off  breezes, 
besides  adding  immensely  to  the  charm  and  dainti- 
ness of  the  bed. 

Where  the  bed  and   its  appointments  are  con- 


iii 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

cerned,  the  aim  of  the  housekeeper  should  be  to 
create  and  maintain  this  impression  of  daintiness 
and  charm.  For  this  reason,  where  it  is  possible, 
the  presence  of  a  couch  becomes  a  necessity  in  the 
room,  so  that  the  bed  itself,  once  arranged,  shall 
not  be  disturbed  until  nightfall.  For  the  same 
reason,  the  pillows,  with  their  ruffled  and  belaced 
edges,  should  be  made  pretty  and  becoming  to  the 
face.  It  is,  to  be  sure,  no  longer  the  fashion  to 
hold  receptions  in  bed-chambers,  the  lady  sitting 
among  her  pillows  in  a  night-costume  of  stiff  bro- 
cade, while  the  distinguished  assemblage  pays  her 
homage ;  but  the  instinct  to  preserve  appearances, 
even  in  a  sick-bed,  is  to  be  commended.  I  some- 
times believe  Mr.  George  Cable  touches  upon  an 
almost  solemn  subject  when,  in  the  "  Grandissimes," 
he  makes  the  lovely  Aurore,  just  awakened  and 
praised  by  her  daughter,  say,  "  Clotilde,  my  beauti- 
ful daughter,  I  tell  you  now  because  you  don't 
know,  and  it  is  my  duty  as  your  mother  to  tell 
you,  —  the  meanest  wickedness  a  woman  can  do  in 
all  this  bad,  bad  world  is  to  look  ugly  in  bed." 

Within  the  last  few  years  the  fashion  of  multiply- 
ing the  number  of  pretty  little  pillows  has  increased. 
There  is  one  to  be  slipped  beneath  the  head  of  the 
sleeper  at  night,  and  which  the  owner  generally 
carries  with  her  when  she  travels,  so  as  to  insure 
herself  her  accustomed  comfort.  There  are  others 
on  the  couch  where  she  takes  her  nap  in  the  after- 
noon. Sometimes  these  pillows  are  seen  in  finely 
appointed  drawing-rooms ;  but  only  when  the  pres- 


112 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


ence  of  damask,  or  satin,  or  fine  hangings  make 
them  possible.  These  pillows  should  be  made  of 
softest  down  —  like  that  used  for  babies'  cribs  — 
covered  first  with  a  white  or  colored  wash  silk  or 
fine  batiste,  so  fashioned  that  it  can  be  taken  off  to 
be  laundered.  The  cases  proper,  however  fine,  are 
always  of  wash  materials. 
Sometimes  sheer  white 
linen  is  used,  edged  about 
with  a  full  ruffle  of  em- 


broidery.  But  this  represents  the  simplest  form, 
although  it  is  always  sure  to  be  a  popular  one,  since 
a  ruffle  is  always  becoming  to  the  face.  The  very 
finest  linen  cambric  and  French  muslin  are  also 
employed  in  their  manufacture,  with  the  daintiest 
laces  and  embroideries  for  trimmings.  Very  often 
the  case  itself  is  embroidered  with  a  special  design, 
which  follows  the  shape  of  the  pillow ;  or  the 
owner's  monogram  is  used,  finely  worked,  as  on  the 
best  handkerchiefs.  One  favorite  design  shows  a 

8  113 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

row  of  buttonholes  worked  round  the  edge  of  the 
pillow,  through  which  a  ribbon  is  run.  At  the 
four  corners  this  ribbon  is  tied  in  bows.  Very 
lovely  pillows  can  be  made,  however,  without  any 
great  cost,  by  using  embroidered  muslin  which 
comes  by  the  yard,  and  finishing  the  edges  with  a 
find  Valenciennes  lace  gathered  full. 

Pillow-shams,  as  a  rule,  have  disappeared.  They 
are  still  used  in  certain  old  houses  where  domestic 
traditions  are  preserved,  and  where  the  possessions 
of  the  mistress  are  of  so  solid  a  character  as  to  war- 
rant her  in  a  certain  license  of  expression.  Cheap 
cotton  shams,  trimmed  with  embroidery,  are,  how- 
ever, out  of  the  question  on  well-appointed  beds. 
During  the  day  the  sleeping  pillows  are  put  away  in 
a  closet,  only  the  bolster  remaining,  with  perhaps 
one  of  the  small  pillows  just  referred  to  on  the 
spread  before  it.  Sometimes,  when  the  cover  is  not 
drawn  over  the  bolster,  or  the  bolster  itself  is  not 
covered  separately  and  laid  outside,  a  set  of  large 
day  pillows,  in  fancy  white  linen  cases,  are  used  in 
finishing  the  bed.  They  are  not  to  be  slept  upon, 
other  pillows  being  substituted  for  the  night. 

It  must  be  remembered  that,  even  in  the  dressing 
of  a  bed,  fashions  change,  and  that  each  individual 
has  his  or  her  own  theory  as  to  comfort.  Therefore 
the  changing  of  pillows  at  night,  the  substitution  of 
what  looks  well  by  day,  has  for  its  purpose  one  object 
only,  —  to  eliminate  the  possibility  of  disorder,  to 
give  the  bed  a  uniformed  air,  as  it  were,  suggesting 
the  fact  that  once  arranged  in  the  morning  it  is  not 

114 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  be  touched  again  until  the  maid  turns  it  down  at 
night.  This,  of  course,  destroys  the  possibility  of 
sitting  on  it,  as  young  girls,  and  some  older  women 
brought  up  in  country  districts,  delight  in  doing. 
Some  of  these  never  seem  to  feel  quite  on  friendly 
terms  with  a  family  unless  they  can  sit  on  the  edge 
of  a  bed,  at  times,  and  gossip.  But  wherever  the 
more  formal  laws  of  life  prevail,  as  they  do  in  cities, 
the  untidiness  involved  in  the  tumbling  of  the  bed 
is  not  permissible.  School-girls,  congregated  in  one 
room  to  discuss  festivities  or  clothes,  will  obey  no 
rule  of  their  elders,  which  is  one  reason  why  a  young 
girl's  bed  should  be  dressed  in  white,  with  spreads 
that  can  be  changed  whenever  necessary. 

Because  of  this  formal  treatment  of  the  bed,  a 
couch,  as  I  have  already  said,  is  almost  a  necessity 
in  the  bedroom.  The  marvel  is  that  so  many  good 
housekeepers  neglect  to  provide  one,  especially  in  a 
guest-chamber,  where  it  is  as  important  as  the  bed 
itself.  A  visitor  would  have  to  be  bold,  indeed, 
to  disarrange  one  of  the  modern  beds  for  a  half- 
hour's  nap  before  dinner. 

Besides  the  metal  beds  already  referred  to,  wooden 
ones  of  various  styles,  and  often  reviving  some 
quaint  fashion  of  the  past,  are  once  more  increas- 
ingly popular.  In  many  houses  we  can  find  the 
low  Dutch  bedstead,  with  its  four  posts  and  carved 
canopy ;  high  mahogany  four-posters,  carved  or 
plain ;  or  charming  four-posters  like  that  shown 
in  the  illustration  No.  10,  where  the  tester  is 
curved,  not  straight.  Then  there  are  the  mar- 

"5 


HOMES  AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

quetry  beds  —  beds  made  to  imitate  a  swan,  or  with 
elaborately  decorated  columns,  once  belonging  to 
some  potentate  across  the  water.  These  beds  may 
be  either  single  or  double,  though  in  most  guest- 
rooms the  best  usage  demands  the  placing  of  two 
single  beds  side  by  side,  as  many  people  prefer  to 


sleep'  alone  even  when  occupying  the  same  cham- 
ber. Almost  any  style  of  bed  is  accepted  to-day, 
except  those  top-heavy  walnut  or  rosewood  struc- 
tures with  low  footboards  and  headboards  rising 
almost  to  the  ceiling.  It  is  a  curious  fact,  too, 
that  a  beautiful  bed,  like  a  beautiful  picture,  may 

116 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 

be  found  amid  the  simplest  surroundings,  without 
appearing  out  of  place.  It  is  only  where  the  ap- 
pointments are  shabby,  or  where  the  bed  is  trimmed 
with  tawdry  stuffs  and  carelessly  kept,  that  the  sense 
of  fitness  is  violated.  A  satin  couch  in  a  certain 
kind  of  room  becomes  positively  offensive,  where  a 
carved  bedstead  finished  with  spotless  hangings  would 
impress  you  with  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  were 
better  educated  than  you  had  supposed. 

For  many  years  plain  linen  pillow-cases,  and  a 
spread  of  white  Marseilles,  were  all  that  the  most 
ambitious  housekeeper  desired.  And  there  are  few 
prettier  beds  to-day  than  those  dressed  in  white, 
although  occasionally  the  other  appointments  of 
a  room  may  make  a  white  bed  too  obtrusive, 
too  defined,  especially  where  the  white  coverlet  is 
of  a  smooth  and  unbroken  surface.  When  a  thin 
white  material  is  used  it  is  better  to  soften  it 
by  an  under  color.  Thus,  in  a  room  where  the 
environment  makes  such  a  dressing  possible  and 
the  wealth  of  the  owner  enables  her  to  change  her 
hangings  when  they  become  mussed  or  soiled,  the 
metal  bed  shows  a  valance  of  sheer  white  French 
muslin,  or  cambric,  over  blue  or  pink.  The  white 
muslin  is  embroidered,  or  inlaid  and  trimmed  with 
lace.  It  is  used,  too,  for  the  bedspread,  and  covers 
the  bolster,  also  over  blue  or  pink.  The  little  pil- 
low, laid  outside  during  the  day,  should  match  the 
spread  and  valance.  Dotted  or  embroidered  mus- 
lin may  be  used  for  the  carrying  out  of  a  similar 
treatment.  For  apartments  or  the  bed-chambers 

117 


HOMES  AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

of  country  houses,  wash  materials,  Anatolian  cot- 
tons, chintzes,  cretonnes,  or  white  dimity,  may  be 
used  with  charming  effect. 

When  the  rest  of  the  room  permits  the  extrav- 
agance, the  cover  may  be  made  of  some  rich  old 
embroidered  satin  or  silk,  results  of  a  forage  in 
old  palaces  abroad  ;  brocades  are  used  in  this  way, 
fine  old  damask,  rare  Japanese  and  Chinese  em- 
broidery, the  half-tester  or  canopy  being  hung  with 
them.  But  these  stuffs,  it  *must  be  again  insisted, 
are  never  permissible  unless  the  other  appointments 
of  the  room  are  in  keeping. 

A  pretty  bedspread,  designed  by  a  royal  English 
princess  interested  in  applied  design,  shows  white 
mercerized  cotton  worked  with  green  leaves,  which 
outline  the  square  top  of  the  bed,  the  centre  be- 
ing filled  with  embroidered  roses  scattered  over  it. 
This  mercerized  cotton,  it  is  to  be  explained,  is  a 
comparatively  new  material  for  hangings,  imitating, 
with  its  raised  figures,  the  effects  and  designs  of  bro- 
cades. It  is  cheap  and  satisfactory  when  its  colors 
are  good ;  the  trouble,  however,  lies  in  its  crude- 
ness,  or  bad  combinations  of  color.  Another  coverlet 
made  by  an  American  is  of  a  heavy  linen  or  crash, 
with  green  leaves  and  poppies  scattered  over  it 
charmingly.  "  Sleep  that  knits  up  the  ravelled 
sleeve  of  care "  is  interwoven  in  a  running  text 
among  the  flowers.  Linen  stuffs  in  various  colors, 
and  heavy  linen  laces,  may  be  used  successfully  in 
the  construction  of  similar  articles. 

In  a  pretty  bedroom  of  a  certain  town  house,  an 
118 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Empire  bed  —  head  and  foot  pieces  of  similar  height 
and  ornamented  with  wreaths  of  ormolu —  has  been 
pushed  back  against  the  wall  of  an  alcove.  The 
drapery,  of  richly  embroidered  satin,  has  been  hung, 
tent-fashion,  over  it,  but  instead  of  leaving  the 
wall  bare,  the  satin  has  been  caught  up  against  it 
with  a  golden  figure.  Such  an  arrangement,  like 
many  of  those  just  described,  must  only  belong 
to  rooms  finely  appointed  in  other  respects.  Pro- 
priety and  harmony  must  be  preserved.  One 
must  understand  that  such  bed-furnishings  belong 
to  a  woman  whose  other  possessions  correspond 
to  them,  and  who  has  wealth  enough  to  com- 
mand a  service  sufficient  to  change  or  renovate  her 
hangings  whenever  necessary,  without  disarranging 
her  whole  domestic  establishment.  Effective  as 
this  particular  drapery  is  in  its  particular  room,  it 
would  have  been  unendurable  in  any  bedroom 
where  the  rest  of  the  house  suggested  a  careless 
management,  and  out  of  the  question  for  a  simple 
country  house  with  mattings  on  the  floor,  or  in  a 
room  cumbered  by  a  sewing-machine  and  work 
basket. 

When  a  woman  is  poor,  and  has  only  a  limited 
number  of  servants  or  none,  she  must  resort  to  soap 
and  water  when  her  hangings  are  to  be  freshened 
and  the  results  of  the  season's  wear  are  to  be  reme- 
died. She  cannot,  like  her  more  opulent  neighbors, 
depend  upon  the  linen-draper  or  the  upholsterer; 
neither  can  she,  in  her  purchases,  yield  to  whims  of 
fashion,  nor  discard  an  outgrown  fancy.  She  must 

119 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

content  herself  with  what  she  has,  and  what  she  has 
she  must  keep  clean.  She  does  not  always  remem- 
ber this,  and  to  save  time  and  trouble  she  will  buy 
a  bedroom  hanging  that  is  both  pretentious  and  un- 
suitable. A  simple  bedroom  with  spotless  linen  and 
dainty  hangings  will  always  hold  its  own,  and  com- 
pare favorably  with  the  more  sumptuous  furnishings 
of  elaborate  apartments.  Those  of  limited  means, 
who  may  have  tastes  beyond  their  purses,  should 
bear  one  thing  in  mind  —  the  privilege  of  cleanliness, 
that  finest  of  virtues,  is  always  theirs.  No  wealth 
can  command  for  them  anything  intrinsically  finer. 
I  once  knew  a  young  girl,  forced  to  live  in  one  of 
the  dreariest  and  most  desolate  of  small  apartment- 
houses.  It  took  all  one's  courage  to  enter  the  dark 
hall  and  mount  the  still  darker  and  always  dusty 
stairway.  But  once  in  her  little  apartment,  with  a 
view  of  her  bedroom,  one's  whole  attitude  suddenly 
changed.  Fresh  white  muslin  was  everywhere,  and 
the  atmosphere  it  imparted  compelled  admiration. 

Four-posters,  like  the  enamelled  beds,  may  be 
dressed  with  flowered  chintz,  with  dimities,  muslins, 
or  with  richer  stuffs.  A  New  England  four-poster, 
long  cherished  as  an  heirloom  because  for  a  single 
night  it  had  sheltered  the  great  Lafayette,  was,  I 
remember,  hung  with  a  yellow  damask  of  beautiful 
tone  ;  for  the  most  part,  however,  these  old  beds  were 
trimmed  with  dimities  or  chintzes  or  homespun 
linens,  edged  with  home-made  fringes,  handed  down 
from  generation  to  generation.  There  was  always  a 
valance,  and  the  coverlet  might  match  or  not,  but 

I2O 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  valance  on  the  tester  was  always  of  the  same 
stuff  as  that  on  the  bottom  of  the  bed,  as  were  the 
curtains,  which  sometimes  fell  on  all  four  sides,  or 
appeared  only  about  the  head.  The  tester  itself, 
when  curved,  was  topped  with  material  laid  per- 
fectly plain,  otherwise  the  stuff  was  fulled  and  drawn 
to  a  button  in  the  centre.  Under  the  direction  of 
an  artist,  an  old  carved  four-poster  has  been  hung 
with  a  valance  and  curtains  of  the  softest  velveteen 
of  an  exquisite  green,  a  green  that  in  some  lights 
shows  the  very  silvery  quality  seen  on  the  leaves  of 
the  apple-tree  in  the  spring.  At  the  head  of  the 
bed,  in  the  space  between  the  top  of  the  headboard 
and  the  tester,  there  is  a  large  plaster  cast  of  the  Sing- 
ing Boys,  toned  to  a  soft  ivory  white.  The  rest  of 
the  room  is  in  ivory  white  and  green. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  will  be  seen  that  a 
bed  need  follow  no  arbitrary  fashion  in  design  or 
construction.  These  details  are  governed  by  the 
tastes  of  individual  owners,  each  man  or  woman 
being  entitled  to  his  or  her  own  way  of  sleeping 
most  comfortably,  but  that,  while  yielding  as  it  does 
to  personal  requirements,  good  taste  demands  that 
it  be  well  appointed,  and  by  the  term  "  well 
appointed "  absolute  freshness  and  daintiness  of 
detail  is  implied.  It  will  be  seen,  too,  that  the  bed- 
stead is  one  affair,  its  hangings  another,  and  that  for 
this  reason  a  beautifully  carved  bedstead  may  be 
appropriate  amid  the  simplest  surroundings,  as  it 
was  in  the  old  Dutch  houses,  but  that  the  proprie- 
ties are  altogether  violated  when  certain  stuffs  are 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

introduced  as  hangings,  when  the  cheap  and  tawdry 
are  permitted,  and  when  the  magnificence  of  the 
opulent  is  imitated  by  those  who  have  not  the 
means  to  make  their  finery  appropriate. 

I  suppose  every  newspaper  office  having  a  house- 
hold department  receives  letters  from  young  house- 
keepers and  brides-to-be  asking  what  must  be 
purchased  for  the  new  home,  how  many  sheets  and 
pillow-cases,  how  many  tablecloths  and  napkins, 
how  they  should  be  marked,  and  where,  how  large 
the  letters  should  be,  whether  a  color  should  appear 
or  the  marking  be  done  in  white.  No  one  should 
begin  housekeeping  with  less  than  a  dozen  sheets 
for  each  bed,  except  where  there  are  two  beds  of 
one  size,  when  she  can  get  along  with  eighteen  or 
twenty  for  the  two.  There  should  always  be  a  sur- 
plus to  be  called  upon  in  cases  of  necessity. 

A  short  upper  sheet  is  an  abomination,  the  very 
desolation  of  wretchedness.  For  that  reason  many 
housekeepers  have  separate  upper  and  lower  sheets, 
the  upper  sheet  made  long  enough  to  fold  half-way 
down  over  the  blanket.  This  upper  sheet  is  often 
elaborately  trimmed  with  embroidery,  heavy  lace, 
and  hemstitching.  It  not  only  adds  to  the  general 
appearance  of  the  bed,  but  preserves  the  blankets  as 
well.  Unless  the  lace  and  embroidery  are  in  them- 
selves both  beautiful  and  appropriate,  the  simple 
unadorned  sheet  is  preferable. 

The  monogram,  or  letters,  always  appears  in  the 
middle  of  the  sheet,  just  above  the  hem.  Colors  are 
not  used  in  the  marking  of  bed-linen.  The  best 


122 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

sheets  are  of  linen,  although  there  are  some  persons 
who  dislike  the  feeling,  preferring  a  fine  cotton. 

When  a  bed  is  to  be  made  up  with  a  chintz  or  an 
embroidered  silk  cover,  there  is  always  a  thin  spread, 
or  cover,  put  over  the  blankets.  This  is  also  laid 
across  the  bed  when  one  is  ill,  and  there  is  much 
passing  back  and  forth  by  the  bedside.  Nothing 
heavy  should  be  used. 

Pillow-cases,  like  sheets,  should  be  marked  just 
above  the  hem.  Sometimes  the  monogram  appears 
in  the  centre  of  the  pillow,  but  the  work  must  be 
fine  or  the  effect  is  unpleasant.  When  letters  are 
used,  either  on  the  sheet  or  the  pillow-cases,  they 
should  not  be  more  than  an  inch  in  height. 

It  would  be  altogether  delightful  if  each  person 
could  have  all  the  pillow-cases  and  linen  needed, 
but  even  when  one  can  afford  to  buy  them,  there  is 
not  always,  in  most  houses,  room  to  keep  them 
stored.  A  linen-closet,  that  delight  of  all  house- 
keepers, is  out  of  the  question,  for  instance,  in  the 
average  apartment,  and  only  sufficient  linen  to  supply 
actual  need  may  be  purchased.  The  number  to  be 
bought  by  brides,  therefore,  must  depend  upon  the 
number  of  beds  to  be  furnished,  and  then  upon  the 
amount  of  space  available  for  keeping  that  which  is 
in  use ;  but  in  these  days  of  ready-made  household 
articles,  it  is  always  easy  to  replenish  stores  quickly, 
when  emergencies  arise.  A  pretty  fashion,  when 
there  is  no  room  for  a  linen-closet,  is  to  keep  the 
linen  in  a  cabinet  having  glass  doors  and  sides. 
Everything  can  be  put  away  in  sets,  and  tied  to- 

123 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

gather  with  ribbons.  Elastic  bands  finished  with 
bows  of  ribbon  and  with  clasps,  like  garters,  may  be 
used  to  secure  the  pile  of  pillow-cases,  saving  the 
housekeeper  the  trouble  of  tying  a  fresh  bow  every 
time  the  set  is  disarranged.  Underclothes  are  often 
kept  in  similar  cabinets  when  the  closet  room  is 
limited. 

Besides  the  linen  pillow-cases,  there  should  be  thin 
inside  slips  to  put  under  them.  This  inner  cover, 
made  with  buttons  and  buttonholes,  need  not  be 
changed  as  often  as  the  outside  case.  It  serves  to 
protect  the  ticking  and  keep  it  clean,  —  a  desirable 
object.  These  slips  are  of  especial  importance  in 
rooms  used  by  servants,  where  they  can  be  of  un- 
bleached cotton,  tied  with  tapes,  the  cotton  to  be  as 
thick  as  the  ticking  itself.  They  should  be  carefully 
fitted. 

No  bedroom  linen  is  complete  unless  it  includes 
a  number  of  covers  for  bureaus  and  tables.  Face 
towels,  used  for  covering  these  pieces  of  furniture,  are 
well  enough  in  their  way,  but  only  in  cases  of  ne- 
cessity. When  a  costly  piece  of  heavy  lace  is  used 
on  a  bureau  or  dressing-table,  a  piece  of  thick  glass 
with  bevelled  edges,  and  exactly  matching  the  table 
top  in  size,  is  sometimes  placed  over  the  lace,  the 
dusting  and  cleaning  of  the  glass  being  an  easy 
matter,  while  the  lace  underneath  is  kept  spotless. 
The  toilet  articles  then  stand  on  the  glass.  Covers 
of  drawn  linen-work  made  to  fit  the  tables  should 
be  included  in  a  list  of  bedroom  linen.  A  fine 
bird's-eye  makes  a  pretty  cover,  trimmed  with 

124 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

narrow  fluted  ruffle  of  white  cambric  or  wash  lace. 
Fine  white  linen,  embroidered  with  the  owner's 
monogram,  and  trimmed  with  white  lace  or  finished 
with  hemstitching,  always  suggests  the  careful  and 
fastidious  housekeeper.  Dutch,  Hungarian,  and 
German  embroideries  are  good.  Dotted-muslin 
covers  trimmed  with  wash  lace  are  very  dainty  for 
tables  and  bureaus.  They  can  be  changed  as  often 
as  necessary. 

The  prejudice  against  feather  beds  and  down 
comforters  is  so  strong  in  some  houses  that  even 
an  eider-down  quilt  is  prohibited.  Extra  blankets 
are  used  on  cold  nights,  or  comforters  of  medi- 
cated wools,  covered  with  silk,  and  trimmed  with 
lace.  Many  people  prefer  buying  new  comforters 
each  season,  covering  them  with  a  cheaper  material, 
and  throwing  them  away  when  they  are  soiled. 
Pink,  or  blue  and  white  worsted  blankets  and  af- 
ghans,  trimmed  with  lace  and  ribbons,  are  used  on 
beds  and  couches ;  so  are  silk  blankets.  When 
the  eider-down  quilt  appears  it  is  generally  of 
satin  and  embroidered.  Laces  and  ribbons  are 
used  in  profusion  on  quilts,  comforters,  and  knit 
blankets,  but  are  only  admissible  when,  as  insistence 
has  often  been  made,  the  householder  can  afford 
to  throw  away  or  replenish  articles  as  they  grow 
shabby. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER  VIII 

BATHROOMS 

IT  used  to  be  the  cry  of  returning  travellers  from 
abroad  that  no  conveniences  for  bathing  existed 
in  Europe,  and  that  for  a  good  honest  tub,  with 
hot  and  cold  running  water,  one  must  come  back  to 
this  country.  In  reality,  however,  such  travellers 
know  nothing  about  the  charms  of  baths  abroad, 
neither  how  to  order  them,  nor  yet  how  to  take 
them  when  obtained,  —  nothing,  in  fact,  of  those 
baths  in  Paris  where  a  maid  in  cap  and  apron 
wheels  into  one's  bedroom  in  the  morning  a  copper 
tub  on  rollers,  with  a  clean  linen  sheet  laid  inside, 
another  sheet  on  her  arm  to  be  spread  over  an  easy- 
chair,  in  which  one  is  to  be  seated  on  stepping 
from  the  tub.  And  then  the  towels  !  —  in  a  copper 
bucket,  also  on  rollers,  and  tucked  away  in  com- 
partments, a  separate  compartment  holding  hot 
water  for  heating  them,  so  that  when  the  half  a 
dozen  towels  are  taken  out  they  are  found  to  be  as 
warm  as  though  they  had  been  heated  on  the  high 
fender  of  one's  own  nursery  fire.  Until  lately  what 
had  we  to  match  these  delights  ?  To-day,  to  be 
sure,  most  houses  have  a  bathroom  on  each  floor, 
and  a  house  of  any  importance  has  one  for  every 
member  of  a  family.  Some  thirty  years  ago  such 

126 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 


arrangements  were  not  required  :  even  in  Newport 
they  did  not  exist.  One  bathroom  to  a  house  was 
often  considered  luxurious  enough.  I  do  not  re- 
member a  single  genuine  Colonial  house  that  was 
originally  built  with  a 
bathroom.  There  was 
no  sign  of  any  in  Gen- 
eral Washington's  house 
at  Mount  Vernon. 

Even  in  our  own  day, 
outside  our  great  cities, 
we  can  boast  few  con- 
veniences for  bathing. 
In  few  of  our  newest 
summer  hotels  are  there 
more  than  three  or  four 
bathrooms  for  the  use 
of  all  the  guests,  and  a 
bath  every  day  becomes 
the  most  expensive  of 
luxuries.  The  guests 
are  forced  in  self-defence 
to  provide  their  own 
tubs,  and  then  a  fee 
must  be  doubled  to  se- 
cure enough  hot  water 
to  fill  them  in  the  morn- 
ing. People  travelling  from  place  to  place  who  are 
obliged  to  go  to  the  small  hotels  of  our  country 
towns  tell  us  that  in  winter  a  bath  in  one  of  these 
places  is  almost  an  impossibility,  since  the  single 

1*7 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

faucet  (for  cold  water  only)  is  always  turned  off  with 
the  first  coming  of  the  frost,  and  the  tub  itself  made 
a  receptacle  for  dustpans  and  brooms.  When  bath- 
tubs were  introduced  into  tenements  in  New  York, 
they  were  filled  with  dirt  by  the  tenants,  and  used 
for  the  growing  of  vegetables  and  greens.  In  many 
instances  the  winter  coal  was  stored  in  them. 

The  development  among  us,  indeed,  of  the  mod- 
ern bathroom  is  one  of  the  interesting  signs  of 
the  times.  In  our  small  apartments  they  are  often 
the  one  desirable  feature  of  the  flat,  being  better 
built  and  appointed  than  they  are  in  many  an 
old-fashioned,  four-storied,  brown-stone  house,  and 
better  ventilated  even  than  the  bedrooms.  Open 
plumbing  is  now  considered  imperative  ;  the  heavy 
look  of  the  old  bathrooms,  with  everything  encased 
in  walnut,  is  no  longer  possible.  Varnished  papers 
and  tiles  have  taken  the  place  of  woods  and  oil- 
cloths, glass  shelves  that  of  wooden  ones. 

In  many  of  the  sumptuous  houses  of  the  day 
the  bathroom  alone  frequently  costs  ten  or  twenty 
thousand,  sometimes  more.  The  splendid  baths 
found  in  Pompeii  or  the  Alhambra,  or  the  cities 
of  the  Mediterranean,  are  copied.  The  floor  is 
covered  by  a  single  slab  —  the  tub  cut  from  a  solid 
block  of  marble.  The  cost  is  in  the  exquisite 
workmanship  and  in  the  materials  used.  High 
up  on  the  mountains  of  the  Island  of  Majorca  I 
once  saw  one  of  these  baths,  restored  by  an  Aus- 
trian prince  for  his  daily  use.  A  colonnade  of  won- 
derful Saracenic  columns  enclosed  a  rose  garden; 

128 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

outside,  some  of  the  bushes  grew  against  the  win- 
dows, filling  the  huge  marble  bathroom  with  a  cool, 
green  light.  The  square  marble  tub,  itself  larger 
than  many  a  prison  cell,  stood  on  a  raised  platform 
at  one  end.  Round  the  other  three  sides  of  the 
room  and  against  the  walls  ran  low  benches,  on 
which  the  bather  could  recline  and  rest.  And  this 
in  a  wild  and  rugged  country,  inhabited  only  by 
peasants,  except  when  the  prince  and  his  suite  took 
up  their  residence  on  his  estates.  The  interesting 
point  to  me  was  that  the  most  primitive  conditions 
existed  in  the  rest  of  this  particular  lodge,  all  the 
cooking  being  done  with  charcoal  on  high  stone 
tables  against  the  walls,  like  those  seen  in  the 
houses  of  Pompeii. 

These  square  marble  or  tiled  bathtubs  are  to  be 
found  in  our  newest  houses,  where  they  take  the 
place  of  the  porcelain-lined  tubs  which  once  marked 
so  wide  a  step  beyond  the  tin  tubs  of  an  older 
generation.  Sometimes  they  are  set  in  the  floor, 
approach  being  had  to  their  depths  by  marble 
steps.  In  some  of  our  modern  country  houses, 
with  an  inexhaustible  water  supply,  swimming  pools 
and  bathing  places  are  found  in  separate  buildings. 
The  buildings  are  constructed  of  wood  or  marble. 
The  great  tub  below  the  floor-level  is  surrounded 
by  ferns  and  growing  plants.  Everything  possible 
is  done  to  revive  the  beauty  and  the  sumptuousness 
of  the  ancient  bath.  For  all  that,  we  do  not  yet 
approach  the  splendor  of  the  ancients,  nor  even 
the  luxury  of  many  Europeans.  We  crowd  too 

9  129 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

much  into  one  room,  —  the  bath,  the  basin,  the 
sitz,  and  the  shower,  —  the  cost  of  land  in  a  town 
making  this  economy  of  space  advisable,  perhaps. 
One  sometimes  wonders,  however,  why  in  country 
houses,  where  there  is  plenty  of  land,  the  fashion 
of  some  foreigners  is  not  adopted,  each  of  the 
several  articles  just  named  being  put  in  separate 
rooms ;  the  bathtub  in  one,  the  basin  in  another, 
and  so  on.  The  floors  of  some  of  these  luxurious 
bathrooms  are  of  alabaster  heated  from  below,  a 
seashell  sunk  in  the  floor  forming  the  bathtub,  the 
faucets  being  of  swans'  heads  and  gilded. 

The  question  of  color  should  never  be  neglected, 
even  when  a  bathroom  and  its  appointments  are 
simple.  A  moderate-sized  bathroom  in  a  modest  city 
house  has  been  transformed  in  this  way  :  The  floor 
is  of  white  tiles,  the  bathtubs  and  basin  are  of  white 
porcelain,  a  varnished  paper  showing  pink  roses  and 
leaves  covers  the  walls  and  the  ceiling.  The  wall- 
space  is  broken  by  a  mirror  running  from  the  floor 
to  the  same  height  as  the  top  of  the  window.  The 
window  itself  is  of  a  leaded  glass  of  pinkish  tone, 
the  curtains  are  soft  green  China  silk,  taking  up 
the  color  of  the  leaves  on  the  rose  vines.  China 
silks,  it  must  be  remembered,  are  easily  laundered. 
All  the  pipes  in  this  instance  have  been  gilded. 

Another  bathroom,  overlooking  the  trees  of  the 
Park,  is  entirely  constructed  of  green  and  white 
marbles  of  charming  tones.  Evergreens  fill  the  out- 
side window-boxes  in  winter.  In  the  spring  these 
boxes  are  filled  with  flowers  in  bloom. 

130 


"THE    YELLOW    OF   THE    BRASS    AND   THAT   OF   THE   WINDOW 
REPEATED    EACH    OTHER" 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

The  possibility  of  making  any  bathroom  both 
dainty  and  charming  is  not  denied  the  very  hum- 
blest. In  some  apartments,  where  the  bathroom  is 
tiny,  this  has  been  done.  The  floor  and  dado  were 
of  the  usual  white  tiles.  The  tub  itself  was  porce- 
lain lined.  The  pipes  were  nickel  plated,  exposed 
according  to  sanitary  laws.  The  panes  were  of 
plain  glass.  The  wise  owner  laid  a  plain  green  rug 
on  the  floor,  and  covered  the  walls  with  a  varnished 
wall-paper  showing  a  yellow  iris  with  green  leaves, 
ducks  and  swans  paddling  in  the  water  surrounding 
the  blossoms.  For  the  plain  glass  window  she  sub- 
stituted a  leaded  yellow  crackle  glass  costing  ten 
dollars.  She  made  her  curtains  of  green  silkoline, 
cut  with  two  straight  pieces  felled  and  hanging 
straight  on  either  side,  with  a  ruffle  across  the  top 
to  break  the  awkward  space.  With  this  crackled 
glass,  sufficient  privacy  was  secured  the  bather  dur- 
ing the  day,  without  the  need  of  a  curtain  falling 
over  the  panes.  At  night  a  yellow  shade  is  drawn. 
As  the  bathroom  is  small  and  without  room  for  a 
basin,  a  board  painted  white  with  enamel  paint  was 
laid  across  the  tub  and  set  with  a  large  brass  basin 
and  pitcher  highly  polished,  so  that  the  yellow  of 
the  brass  and  that  of  the  window  repeated  each 
other  and  filled  the  room  as  with  sunshine. 

Another  improvement  was  made  later,  which  it  is 
to  be  hoped  may  be  adopted  by  landlords  for  the 
convenience  of  tenants  in  small  bathrooms.  The 
hot  and  cold  water-pipes  at  the  head  of  the  tub  were 
tapped,  and  the  new  pipes  made  to  run  up  for  some 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

four  feet,  and  end  in  hot  and  cold  water  faucets, 
emptied  by  a  single  projecting  arm.  Into  the  side 
wall  a  swinging  bracket,  ending  in  a  wide  ring  or 
hoop,  was  fastened.  Into  this  ring  or  hoop,  a  basin 
was  fitted.  On  either  side  of  the  basin  there  were 
handles,  so  that  it  could  be  easily  lifted  and  emptied 
without  making  the  tub  below  untidy.  The  conven- 
ience of  this  arrangement  can  hardly  be  too  strongly 
insisted  upon,  and  is  to  be  urged  wherever  a  sta- 
tionary basin  is  not  possible  in  a  bathroom. 

The  tenant 
who  objects  to 
expending  ten 
dollars  on  a 
leaded  window, 
and  who  still 
wants  the  color, 
may  paint  her  window  with  oil  paints  mixed  with 
varnish  to  imitate  stained  glass. 

A  bathroom  corresponding  in  size  to  that  which 
has  just  been  described,  was  given  an  altogether  dif- 
ferent air  by  a  varnished  paper  gay  with  climbing 
roses,  covering  walls  and  ceiling.  The  white  window- 
panes  were  in  this  instance  left  untouched,  curtains 
being  shirred  on  the  sash.  The  dotted  white  muslin 
with  ruffled  edges  is  repeated  in  the  covers  made  for 
the  shelves,  —  those  holding  the  powders,  the  toilet 
waters,  and  the  toothbrushes.  A  long  mirror  fills  one 
wall,  apparently  increasing  the  size.  No  rug  covers 
the  floor  tiles,  a  bath  mat  being  laid  there  when 
required.  Over  the  tub  is  a  swinging  bracket,  like 

132 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

those  used  for  holding  the  large  glass  vessels  of 
colored  liquids  seen  in  apothecaries'  windows. 
Painted  white  to  match  the  rest  of  the  wood-work, 
with  its  brightly  polished  copper  pitcher  and  basin, 
it  becomes  an  interesting  addition  to  the  room. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  even  the  smallest  of  bath- 
rooms, and  those  identically  alike,  may  have  a  dis- 
tinctive touch  lent  them  by  the  taste  of  the  tenant. 

Every  year  the  stores  are  filled  with  new  fashions 
in  varnished  papers  for  bathrooms.  Sometimes  the 
design  shows  a  trellis  with  an  interlacing  of  vines 
and  flowers  so  that  the  effect  of  a  bower  is  pro- 
duced :  Sometimes  it  is  purely  conventional,  repre- 
senting tiled  walls  of  blue  and  white  or  different 
colors.  These  tiled  papers  often  show  tulips  and 
roses  in  each  square,  or  for  children  are  especially 
designed  with  Kate  Greenaway  figures.  Any  paper 
may,  however,  be  varnished,  the  varnish  adding  in 
many  cases  a  certain  richness  of  tone  to  the  colors 
beneath. 

Blue  and  white  is  always  good  in  a  bathroom,  the 
blue  and  white  of  the  walls  being  repeated  in  the 
blue  and  white  of  the  bath  mats,  or  the  oil-cloth 
or  linoleum  on  the  floor.  Linoleum  or  oil-cloth 
is  always  to  be  urged  in  bathrooms  where  the  floors 
are  bad,  as  they  are  in  many  of  the  old-fashioned 
sort.  A  rug  is  easily  shaken  and  gives  sufficient 
warmth  to  the  feet.  When  varnished  papers,  mar- 
bles, and  tiles  are  out  of  the  question,  a  bathroom 
may  still  be  made  interesting.  Resort  must  then 
be  had  to  the  painter.  A  white  enamelled  paint, 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

for  instance,  may  be  divided  into  four-inch  squares 
by  blue  lines  to  imitate  tiling.  When  one  is  clever 
at  stencilling,  a  decorative  design  may  be  added  as  a 
frieze :  on  white  walls,  when  the  enamelled  paint 
below  has  been  made  to  represent  a  tiling  of  green 
and  white,  sea-horses  and  sea-shells  conventionally 
arranged  may  be  stencilled  in  green  just  below  the 
ceiling  as  a  frieze.  If  blue  is  used,  the  stencil  may 
follow  a  different  pattern.  When  the  plain  wall- 
space  between  is  filled  by  a  mirror  with  a  white 
frame,  or  if  the  mirror  is  framed  with  a  wash  mate- 
rial like  that  shown  in  the  border  of  the  curtain, 
the  simplest  and  most  unpretentious  of  bathrooms 
may  be  altogether  transformed. 

In  elaborately  appointed  bathrooms,  mirrors  are 
made  to  serve  important  purposes,  being  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  doors  to  closets.  In  many  in- 
stances a  small  mirror  is  made  to  conceal  a  cabinet 
for  medicines.  Sometimes  this  cabinet  appears  as  a 
projection  in  the  room,  placed  over  the  washstand 
and  shelf.  In  more  elaborately  fitted  bathrooms, 
the  cabinet  is  sunk  into  the  wall  ;  the  mirror  then 


Sto-n.cVU.gc3.  TaordeP  Cor  'baiKroorq.. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

appears  as  part  of  the  wall-surface,  no  suggestion  of 
the  concealed  door  being  given.  The  touching  of 
a  spring  throws  the  mirror  back  and  the  cabinet  is 
revealed.  As  everything  in  these  days  made  after 
an  approved  fashion  must  be  antiseptic,  this  cabinet 
is  also  of  tiles  like  the  walls,  and  the  thick  bevelled- 
glass  shelves  on  which  the  medicines  are  placed  can 
be  taken  down  and  washed.  This  glass  is  expen- 
sive, and  where  you  find  it  beyond  your  means, 
you  are  strongly  urged  to  have  your  bathroom 
shelves  so  made  that  they  can  be  readily  removed 
and  as  readily  scrubbed. 

Something  to  hold  medicines  and  simple  house- 
hold remedies  is  of  paramount  importance  in  bath- 
rooms, especially  in  those  attached  to  guest-rooms, 
and  still  more  especially  when  those  guest-rooms 
belong  to  country  cottages.  Guests,  taken  ill  dur- 
ing the  night,  may  be  reluctant  to  disturb  a  family. 
One  of  the  cleverest  of  housekeepers  and  the  most 
considerate  of  hostesses  gave  me  a  list  of  things  which 
she  keeps  in  hers,  —  camphor,  Pond's  extract, 
quinine,  Jamaica  ginger,  mustard  plasters,  whiskey, 
brandy,  camphorated  vaseline,  absorbent  cotton,  a 
new  toothbrush,  and  a  new  spool  of  dentist's  silk,  a 
spirit-lamp,  alcohol,  and  smelling  salts.  On  the 
shelf  above  the  washstand  she  has  listerine,  lait  d'iris, 
a  toilet  powder,  and  a  toilet  water,  both  a  tooth 
powder  and  tooth  wash,  besides  some  preparation  for 
chapped  hands.  These  might  have  been  placed  on 
a  small  table  near  by  had  there  been  space.  Behind 
the  bathroom  door  dressing-gowns  of  Turkish 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

towelling  are  hung  for  the  convenience  of  the 
bathers. 

In  any  bathroom,  certain  essentials  should  never 
be  neglected  :  A  bath  mat,  to  be  laid  before  the  tub 
when  a  bath  is  taken,  which  should  then  be  hung 
out  to  dry  ;  a  small  portable  basin,  —  one  of  papier- 
mache  is  best.  There  should  be  sponge  baskets 
too,  and  wire  soap-dishes.  When  a  room  is  large 
enough,  a  chair,  or  a  seat  of  some  kind,  must  be 
provided,  and  either  hooks  or  a  bench  on  which  the 
clothes  may  be  hung  or  laid.  A  table  easily  moved 
about  is,  when  possible,  desirable.  This  should  hold 
the  nail-files  and  the  scissors  and  other  essentials  of 
the  toilet,  besides  some  extra  soaps. 

Even  in  the  family  bathroom  there  should  invari- 
ably be  a  number  of  towels  that  have  not  been  un- 
folded ;  and  just  as  one's  best  table  linen  should  be 
reserved  for  special  entertaining,  so  there  should  be 
certain  towels  reserved  for  like  occasions.  These 
towels,  it  ought  to  go  without  saying,  should  never 
show  a  colored  stripe.  Once  in  the  house  of  an 
important  personage  at  our  national  capital,  when  a 
woman  of  newly  made  fortunes  threw  her  house 
open  to  several  hundred  guests,  there  were  in  the 
ladies'  dressing-room  towels  with  red-striped  bor- 
ders, arranged  with  great  care  on  a  rack.  "  I  knew 
she  would  betray  herself  somewhere"  said  a  woman 
near  me,  pointing  to  the  towels. 

Among  the  very  rich  the  towels  reserved  for  these 
occasions  have  elaborate  monograms  —  drawn  work, 
or  embroidery  at  the  border  —  but  all  in  white,  the 

136 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

monogram  being  placed  just  above  the  end.  These 
towels  should  only  be  used  for  the  face  or  the  hands. 
Bath  towels  are  of  the  coarser,  rougher  kind,  meant 
to  stimulate  the  circulation  by  rubbing.  Bird's-eye 
makes  a  delightful  towel,  either  when  simply  hemmed 
and  marked  with  a  letter,  or  when  finished  with  hem- 
stitch and  monogram.  Glass  rods  and  shelves  are 
used  for  towels  ;  when  these  are  not  possible,  a  simple 
rack  is  always  in  good  taste.  A  bathroom  is  always 
marred  by  the  presence  of  rumpled  and  carelessly 
tossed  towels,  the  display  of  too  many  bottles,  and 
exhibitions  of  underwear.  Like  a  dining-room  table, 
a  bathroom  should  be  put  in  spotless  order  after 
each  occupant.  The  insistence  upon  so  self-evident 
a  fact  might  seem  absurd  but  for  the  fact  that  many 
housekeepers,  priding  themselves  upon  the  posses- 
sion of  good  taste,  permit  a  bathroom  to  become 
a  receptacle  for  a  motley  collection  of  personal 
belongings  and  the  baby's  entire  outfit. 

When  one  lives  in  a  cheaper  country  house  where 
a  bathroom  with  running  water  is  an  impossibility, 
one  should  provide  oneself  with  tin  tubs  to  be  placed 
in  the  bedrooms  at  night  for  use  in  the  morning. 
The  custom  is  then  to  have  a  large  piece  of  Turk- 
ish towelling  laid  on  the  floor,  the  tub  to  be  placed 
upon  it.  Each  guest  should  be  asked  if  a  hot  or 
cold  bath  is  desired.  An  extra  can  of  cold  water 
being  left  by  the  tub,  the  maid  in  the  morning 
brings  in  a  can  of  hot  water  and  prepares  the  bath. 

In  Paris,  and  more  recently  adopted  in  this 
country,  there  is  a  copper  or  brass  tank  easily 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

arranged  in  any  bathroom  for  the  heating  of  water 
by  gas,  the  water  being  heated  as  it  passes  through 
the  cylinder.  This  arrangement  is  desirable  in 
those  houses  where  the  boiler  in  the  kitchen  is  too 
small  to  supply  the  needs  of  the  family.  It  is 
by  no  means  an  ugly  object,  rather  interesting 
than  otherwise,  especially  when  it  is  kept  brightly 
polished. 

When  one  lives  by  the  sea  and  wants  to  bathe 
out  of  doors  unobserved,  a  charming  fashion  is  to 
build  a  small  tea-house  with  dressing-rooms,  near  the 
bathing  pool  or  beach.  The  bathing-pool  and  tea- 
house should  be  screened  and  protected  by  bushes 
and  shrubs,  the  path  through  them  being  hidden. 
In  one  instance  a  bathing-pool  was  built  of  cement. 
The  water  from  the  ocean  being  too  cold  for  the  or- 
dinary individual,  it  was  brought  into  the  cement 
basin,  where  it  had  a  chance  to  warm  in  the  sun. 
A  platform  for  diving  was  arranged.  The  tea-house 
which  overlooked  the  pool  was  furnished  with  ver- 
andas and  porches,  hung  with  awnings,  and  made  de- 
lightful with  vines.  Inside  were  all  the  appointments 
of  the  bathing  pavilion  of  seaside  resorts,  so  that 
it  was  possible  for  the  hostess  and  her  guests  to 
bathe  as  the  less  favored  must  on  a  public  beach, 
without  the  pastime  being  vulgarized  by  brass  bands 
and  cameras. 


138 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   IX 


DINING-ROOMS 

NLY  those  who  have  had  to 
grope  their  way  alone  through 
the  errors  and  the  agonies  of  fur- 
nishing a  house  can  understand 
the  difference  between  the  prob- 
lems presented  by  the  parlor  and 
the  dining-room.  The  problem  of 
one  is  Protean ;  the  solution  of  the 
other,  comparatively  simple. 

Utility  alone,  the  silver  and  china 
used  on  the  table,  may  be  represented 

jn  the  decoration  of  the  dining-room 

. 
without  the  violation   or  any  law  or 

faQ  suggestion  of  a   limited   mental 
.      .      55    _  .  ,          r 

horizon.     But  a  parlor  is  a  place  or 

recreation,  and  in  it  we  must  gather  certain  posses- 
sions which  represent  our  way  of  being  refreshed. 
I  may  find  my  recreation  in  books  and  pictures ; 
another  may  find  it  in  pictures  and  flowers ;  some 
one  else  may  find  it  in  music ;  a  fourth  person,  in 
collecting  beautiful  porcelains ;  a  fifth,  in  games  in 
which  the  children  join.  Without  these  evidences 
of  individual  tastes  the  parlor  of  a  house  might  as 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

well  be  the  parlor  of  a  steamboat.  A  dining-room 
is  not  dependent  upon  them  for  its  excellence.  We 
may  be  musical,  literary,  or  artistic  without  having 
to  betray  that  fact  in  the  decoration  of  our  dining- 
rooms. 

There  is  another  curious  difference  between 
dining-rooms  and  parlors  and  in  what  they  suggest 
of  the  mental  and  social  habits  of  a  family.  The 
dining-room  may  be  perfect  in  all  its  appointments. 
It  may  bear  everywhere  about  it  a  certain  stamp  of 
authority.  You  may  recognize  at  once  that  for 
generations  its  owners  have  dined  well,  that  they 
have  understood  what  all  the  niceties  and  observ- 
ances of  the  table  should  be.  The  parlor,  however, 
may  disenchant  you  at  once ;  prove  to  you,  in  the 
choice  of  the  pictures,  the  hangings,  and  in  the 
arrangement  of  the  furniture,  that  whatever  its 
owners  may  have  mastered  about  the  art  of  eat- 
ing, they  have  bothered  themselves  little  about  the 
cultivation  of  other  arts.  Their  parlor  is  used  only 
as  a  gathering  place  between  meals.  You  see  this 
difference  sometimes  in  the  houses  and  apartments 
of  bachelors  and  people  who  know  a  good  table  but 
know  nothing  about  a  good  book. 

Sometimes,  it  must  with  sorrow  be  confessed, 
those  who  do  know  a  good  book  know  nothing  of 
a  good  dinner,  nor  of  how  it  should  be  served. 
They  are  unconscious  of  the  need  of  finer  observ- 
ances about  a  table  ;  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  the 
success  of  a  dinner  bears  any  relation  to  the  sur- 
roundings in  which  it  is  eaten.  Although  the 

140 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


parlors  and  the  living-rooms  of  these  people  may 
have  convinced  you  of  their  intellectual  and  moral 
attainments,  their  dining-rooms,  when  you  see  them, 
will  give  you  an  uncomfortable  shock. 

My  first  perception  of  this  truth  came  with  a 
visit  to  a  house  newly  bought,  without  regard  to 
cost,  and  exhibited  with  pride  by  its  owners.  It 
was  intelligently  planned,  filled 
with  the  best  of  old  mahogany, 
with  books  in  choice  bindings, 
and  superbly  finished  through- 
out. But  in  passing  through 
the  dining-room  I  saw  on  the 
dinner-table  a  rumpled  white 
cloth. 

Had  the  table  been  well  set 
in  the  beginning,  and  but  re- 
cently abandoned,  the  effect 
would  not  have  been  so  disas- 
trous —  few  things  are  more 
interesting  than  a  table  with  Cfappeadale 
the  chairs  of  the  departed  din- 

u  A   u    i     .u 
ner  guests   pushed   back,   the 

open  napkins,  the  half-filled  wine-glasses,  the  fruits, 
the  flowers,  and  the  lights — but  no  stiffly  starched 
tablecloth  would  have  been  used  ;  certainly  none  that 
was  rumpled. 

Perhaps  the  ugliest  dining-room  to  be  found  the 
world  over  is  that  of  the  small  rented  apartment 
or  flat,  with  an  oak  "  chair  rail,"  a  gilt  paper,  and 
an  over-done  oak  mantel.  Its  dreariness  cannot 

141 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

be  realized  except  by  those  who  have  suffered  from 
it.  Added  to  the  general  wretchedness  of  color  and 
design,  is  the  fact  that  it  is  often  the  only  passage- 
way from  the  kitchen  to  the  front  door. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  by  way  of  improve- 
ment is  to  tear  down  the  gilt  paper.  And  what 
a  sigh  of  relief  will  follow  its  departure.  The 
over-mantel  must  come  down,  too,  and  be  confided 
to  the  janitor's  care.  If  that  is  out  of  the  question, 
and  the  monstrosity  is  really  part  of  the  construc- 
tion, regard  it  as  a  dispensation  sent  by  Providence 
to  afflict  you.  For  a  sore  affliction  it  will  prove 
itself,  always  insistent  and  obtrusive.  The  only 
way  of  meeting  the  situation  gracefully  is  to  ignore 
it.  Never  draw  attention  to  it  by  placing  a  single 
article  in  its  neighborhood,  hoping,  perhaps,  to 
better  the  case.  You  would  only  make  matters 
worse.  Ornaments  are  not  meant  to  conceal  defi- 
ciencies. They  add  a  false  note  when  so  employed. 
Cover  the  ugly  mantel  if  you  can.  Enclose  it  with 
pine  boards,  covered  with  some  good  tapestry  of 
commerce.  Then  a  mirror  and  shelf  can  be  placed 
on  it,  the  shelf  adorned  with  candlesticks.  When 
this  has  been  done,  choose  your  wall-paper. 

Golden  browns  are  particularly  happy  with  oak 
wood-work.  Green  or  yellow  may  be  used;  never 
red  in  stripes.  Red  stripes  and  oak  belong  to 
cheap  country-clubs  and  seaside  hotels.  Manufac- 
tured tapestry,  or  tapestry  papers,  are  excellent. 
Blue  would  be  delightful  were  a  sure,  keen  eye  to 
guide  one  in  selecting  a  tone.  The  impecunious 

142 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


amateur,  inclined  to  a  choice  of  blue  on  the  walls 
of  an  oak-trimmed  dining-room,  is  advised  to  feel 
a  careful  way  among  different  tones  and  shades. 
When  a  well-known  woman  was  quoted  as  the  best- 
dressed  person  in  town,  a  poor  relation  exclaimed, 
"  That  is  because  she  never  has  to  wear  one  of 
her  failures."  The  amateur 
decorator,  who  cannot  afford 
to  discard  failures,  should  be 
careful  before  deciding  finally 
upon  a  blue  for  her  walls. 

When  you  have  the  privi- 
lege of  painting  or  coloring 
your  wood-work  you  have 
unlimited  scope.  One  of  the 
prettiest  small  apartment  din- 
ing-rooms was  treated  in  this 
manner.  The  wood-work  and 
ceiling  were  white.  A  blue 
cotton-jean  turned  wrong 
side  out  to  show  the  lighter 
tone,  and  put  on  with  tacks, 
was  used  on  the  floor,  for 
the  walls,  and  in  the  cur- 
tains. White  dotted  muslin  went  next  the  panes. 
A  white  shelf  running  around  the  room  some  six- 
teen inches  below  the  ceiling  held  a  row  of  blue  and 
white  Canton  china  plates.  Nothing  but  blue  and 
white  china  was  used  on  the  table,  or  allowed  in  the 
room. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


White  wood-work  and  ceiling,  a  paper  covered 
with  enormous  poppies,  a  white  shelf  under  the  frieze 
for  blue  and  white  china,  made  of  another  small 
apartment-house  dining-room  an  oasis  in  the  hot 
and  dusty  town. 

Although  the  dining-rooms  of  apartments  maybe 
built  to  correspond  in  size,  and  although  every  din- 
ing-room must  be  furnished  with 
its  tables  and  its  chairs,  no  one 
room  need  look  like  another.  In 
order  to  make  this  clear,  illustra- 
tions have  been  given  of  two  din- 
ing-rooms in  the  same  apartment- 
house.  The  dimensions  of  the 
rooms  are  identical,  except  that  the 
ceiling  of  one  is  higher  than  the 
other  by  some  ten  or  twelve  inches. 
One  of  the  dining-rooms,  that 
with  the  corner  cupboard,  has  white 
wood-work  and  ceiling.  The  dark 
red  cartridge  paper  is  finished  at 
cKair;  the  ceiling  by  a  white  picture- 
moulding.  The  curtains  of  green 
net  over  white  net  are  looped  back 
over  large  brass  disks. 
The  second  dining-room  has,  like  the  parlor  into 
which  it  opens,  green  wood-work  and  green  burlaps. 
The  ceiling  is  treated  with  the  merest  suggestion 
of  green,  and  brought  down  to  a  shelf  running  round 
the  room.  The  thick  curtains  are  of  green  cordu- 
roy ;  those  next  the  pane,  of  soft  yellow  silk  over 

144 


Midland  . 


"THAT    WITH    THE    CORNER    CUPBOARD    HAS    WHITE    WOODWORK" 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


cream    white    muslin.     The    only    china   appearing 
from  under  cover  is  the  blue  and  white. 

To  go  from  one  of  these  dining-rooms  to  the 
other  is  like  going  into  another  town,  proving  that 
wall-spaces  of  iden- 
tical dimensions 
need  never  entail 
the  necessity  of  mo- 
notonous effects. 

I  remember  an- 
other dining-room  in 
an  apartment-house, 
long  since  demol- 
ished, where  the 
scheme  of  color  ran 
to  greens  and  pinks. 
The  wood-work  was 
the  green  of  the 
mullein  stalk,  the 
walls  of  soft  clover- 
pink  cartridge  paper, 
the  ceiling  plain  and 
slightly  tinted  with 
pink.  The  table- 
service  was  of  an  old 
green  china  that  represented  the  heirlooms  of  several 
generations.  The  hangings  were  of  denim,  match- 
ing the  wood-work. 

I. know  a  dining-room  in  a  studio-building  that 
has  its  walls   covered  with  a  wainscoting   of  pine 
treated  with  oil  until  it  looks  like  old  oak.     The 
10  145 


e«rw«4o»k. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

frieze  is  dull  green.  Gay  Dutch  plates  and  pewter 
mugs  are  on  the  shelf.  A  Dutch  clock  hangs  on 
the  wall.  I  know  another,  also  in  a  studio-building 
—  a  dining-room  with  a  wainscoting  of  fine  old 

D  . 

carved  wood,  and  walls  covered  with  a  burlaps 
treated  with  a  dull  gold  wash.  The  ceilings  are 
hung  with  brass  Italian  lamps,  and  one  or  two  of 
old  silver.  All  the  furniture  is  richly  carved  dark 
oak. 

Then  there  is  another  in  which  I  once  dined, 
high  up  in  the  tenth  story  of  an  apartment  —  a 
circular  dining-room  with  classic  white  columns 
running  round  the  room  ;  the  white  stuccoed  walls 
and  ceiling  covered  with  charming  designs  in  ara- 
besque and  flying  figures  —  its  crowning  glory  the 
window  opening  on  a  wide  stone  balcony.  I  shall 
never  forget  my  evening  there,  nor  the  luxury,  in 
an  unpicturesque  city,  of  resting  my  empty  coffee- 
cup  on  the  stone  balustrade  of  the  balcony  while 
the  soft  night  air  stirred  the  leaves  of  its  vine. 
Stretched  below  me,  in  the  darkness,  with  its 
myriads  of  street  lamps  shining  through  rising 
smoke  and  vapor,  New  York  looked  like  a  black 
sea  into  which  the  stars  had  fallen. 

The  articles  necessary  for  a  dining-room,  the 
table  and  chairs,  sideboard,  side-table,  and  screen 
may  be  of  the  costliest  and  most  elaborate  char- 
acter, or  of  the  simplest.  A  screen  used  to  conceal 
the  pantry  door  through  which  the  butler  or  wait- 
ress approaches  the  table  will  sometimes  cost  many 
thousands  of  dollars  or  may  be  had  for  a  dollar 

146 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


and  a  half.     The  uses  of  the  screen  are  the  same 
in  both  cases. 

The  most  conspicuous,  and,  when  beautiful,  the 
most  impressive  piece  of  dining-room  furniture,  is 
the  sideboard,  and  it  should  represent  the  most 
judicious  selection.  When  well  de- 
signed, it  adds  a  never-failing  dignity 
to  the  simplest  room.  Time  lends 
it  quality,  and  a  careful  choice  in  the 
beginning  means  the  possession  of 
an  object  which  will  form  a  perma- 
nent element  of  value  in  the  ever- 
changing  modern  home.  After  the 
sideboard,  come  the  chairs.  They 
should  have  wide  seats  and  high 
backs.  If  when  the  sideboard  and 
the  chairs  are  purchased  the  money 
is  exhausted,  a  sorry  comfort  may 
be  had  in  the  thought  that  an  ugly 
table  can  be  concealed  by  a  cloth. 

In  the  furnishing  of  a  dining-room 
as  in  the  purchase  of  wall-papers  a 
black-list  is  needed.  At  the  head  of 
this  list  should  come  the  common  jv,,  /»» 

at     V 

oak  sideboard  of  commerce,  with  a  £W>»»7v»M£ix . 
mirror  over  the  top  framed  by  tiers 
of  upright  shelves.  Were  these  sideboards  good  in 
design,  they  might  be  painted,  scraped,  or  stained ; 
but  the  design  is  generally  unpardonably  bad.  If  a 
choice  must  lie  between  one  of  them  or  none  — 
choose  none.  Send  instead  for  the  carpenter  to 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

make  what  old-fashioned  people  called  a  cupboard, 
and  what  is  now  designated  as  a  dresser.  A  cup- 
board, as  I  still  like  to  call  it,  costing  but  five  or  six 
dollars,  can  be  made  in  this  way  :  four  narrow  pine 
shelves  above,  and  three  wider  shelves  below,  sup- 
ported by  upright  pieces  at  either  end.  The  top 
of  the  wide  shelf  may  be  set  with  silver  like  a  side- 
board. Paint  or  stain  the  shelves. 

They  may  be  curtained  with  the  denim  cretonne 
or  flowered  material  that  hangs  at  the  windows. 
When  finished,  the  result  is  by  no  means  to  be  de- 
spised, and  the  exigencies  of  apartment  life  make  it 
admissible.  For  it  must  never  be  forgotten  that,  in 
the  very  nature  of  things,  life  in  an  apartment  neces- 
sitates many  a  makeshift.  Until  one  rents  for  more 
than  a  house,  sufficient  closet  room  is  not  to  be  ex- 
pected, nor  wall-space  for  extra  wardrobes  and  side- 
boards. Housekeeping  resolves  itself  into  a  series 
of  compromises.  Sacrifices  go  endlessly  on  —  to- 
day of  a  comfort  for  the  sake  of  an  appearance,  to- 
morrow of  an  interesting  effect  to  gain  a  greater 
moving  space.  Nothing  for  all  our  pains  is  quite  as 
it  would  be  in  a  house.  Twice  the  intelligence  is 
needed  in  arranging  it  —  in  knowing  what  to  dis- 
card, and  how  to  make  a  compulsory  choice  take  on 
the  air  of  an  inspiration. 

The  curtained  cupboard  holding  dishes  would  be 
out  of  the  question  in  the  dining-room  of  a  town 
house,  but  I  saw  a  little  scrap  of  a  dining-room  in  an 
apartment  made  quite  lovely  with  one.  The  shelves 
were  hung  with  blue  cotton  stamped  in  white,  and 

148 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


set  out  with  blue  and  white  china.  The  room  was 
so  small  that  it  could  hold  no  other  furniture  except 
the  table  and  chairs,  and  a  tiny  serving  table  in  front 
of  the  windows.  For  all  that,  it  bore  about  it  an 
unmistakable  air  of  refinement. 

A  little  more  money,  and  a  little  more  trouble, 
and  a  more  elaborate  cupboard  could  be  produced,  — 
the  lower  shelves  enclosed  by 
doors  having  well-wrought  iron 
hinges  of  brass  or  copper,  as  one 
prefers.  These  hinges  should 
be  made  interesting,  and  follow 
old  Dutch  models.  The  upper 
shelves  of  the  cupboard  could 
be  left  open,  or  enclosed  by  glass 
doors,  the  lead  of  the  glass 
showing  the  bull's-eye,  repeat- 
ing the  design  of  that  on  the 
window-panes,  or  giving  the 
names  or  the  monograms  of 
individuals  so  interwoven  that 
their  meaning  woufd  not  be 
distinguishable  at  once.  I  saw 
the  doors  of  a  cupboard  treated 
in  this  way  in  the  lunch-room 
of  an  architect's  office.  The  name  of  the  firm  ap- 
peared in  an  elaborate  design  covering  the  glass  of 
the  long  and  narrow  doors  that  protected  from  dust 
the  table  china  and  silver  used  at  luncheon. 

One  of  the  illustrations  shows  a  low-boy,  with  a 
series  of  shelves  built  over  it.     The  top  of  the  low- 

149 


n. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

boy  is  used  as  a  sideboard,  the  drawers  for  holding 
small  silver.  This,  too,  is  a  makeshift,  but  has 
sufficient  tact  not  to  make  itself  obtrusive. 

In  an  apartment  dining-room,  when  a  serving-table 
is  an  impossibility,  one  can  be  arranged  for  use  while 
the  family  are  at  table.  The  services  of  the  carpen- 
ter, that  most  helpful  of  appendages  to  a  domestic 
establishment,  must  again  be  called  into  requisition. 
"  Give  me  a  carpenter,"  I  heard  a  woman  say  once, 
"  and  I  can  furnish  any  house."  And  I  never  saw 
her  quite  so  happy  as  when  she  had  one  at  her  beck 
and  call  for  a  day  at  a  time.  Such  transformations 
as  were  accomplished  under  her  directions !  Such 
conveniences  as  appeared !  Such  utilizations  of  space 
no  one  else  ever  accomplished. 

But  to  return  to  that  substitute  for  the  serving- 
table.  By  the  dining-room  door  leading  into  the 
kitchen  or  pantry  (if  the  apartment  boasts  a  pantry), 
let  your  handy  man  put  up  a  hinged  shelf  behind 
the  screen.  Support  it  with  a  leg  underneath,  to  be 
slipped  back  when  the  shelf  is  not  in  use,  enabling  it 
to  fall  flat  against  the  wall.  A  white  tablecloth  must 
always  be  used  on  a  serving-table. 

Dining-rooms,  in  unpretentious  country  houses, 
may  be  treated  with  much  of  the  informality  proper 
to  the  apartment.  They  may  have  flowered  papers, 
chintz,  or  cretonne  hangings,  and  when  mahogany 
is  impossible,  cupboards  instead  of  sideboards. 
Indeed,  it  is  the  aim  of  many  householders,  when 
in  the  country,  to  preserve  simplicity  and  infor- 
mality, and  whenever  this  is  done,  with  a  well- 


"THE    TOP    OF    THE    LOW-BOY    IS    USED    AS    A    SIDEBOARD' 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

defined  and  well-expressed  purpose,  a  stamp  of 
authority  is  immediately  given  to  an  environ- 
ment. Simplicity  is  a  standard  by  which  all  excel- 
lence must  ultimately  be  measured.  But  this 
simplicity  does  not  mean  the  cheap,  nor  the  un- 
gainly, nor  the  awkward,  nor  the  ugly.  It  may 
be  purchased  at  great  cost.  It 
must  be  acquired  by  temperance 
in  judgment,  and  a  sure  knowl- 
edge of  requirements.  It  makes 
itself  felt  in  all  the  arts  ;  in  the 
building  of  the  most  sumptuous 
houses,  and  in  the  furnishing  of 
the  very  humblest.  An  elabora- 
tion of  detail  does  not  disturb 
the  general  design.  Thus  a 
woman's  summer  toilet  may  be 
praised  for  its  perfect  simplic-  ,  _* 
ity,  yet  the  needlework,  the  em-  U 
broidery,  the  inlay  of  lace,  may  Painted  Wack.wiTh. 
be  of  the  finest,  the  costliest,  the  -if"**"*"*  ** 

.       .  ,  n      *U        /Wne««..  about 

most  intricate  character.     On  the 

other  hand  a  cheap  calico  may  be  over-ruffled  and 
over-trimmed,  set  off  with  so  many  ribbons  and 
buckles  that  it  could  only  be  counted  pretentious 
and  vulgar,  and  this,  although  the  cost  of  the  entire 
calico  dress  might  not  have  equalled  that  of  one 
yard  of  the  lace  on  the  dress  which  had  been  ex- 
tolled for  its  simplicity.  The  question  of  cost, 
therefore,  does  not  enter  into  the  subject.  A 
knowledge  of  essentials  does,  which  includes  a 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

knowledge  of  what  should  be  kept  out  of  the  room. 
Who,  for  instance,  would  tolerate  a  dining-room 
chair  trimmed  with  bows  of  ribbon,  or  so  much  as  an 
inch  of  ribbon  on  the  sideboard  cover  ?  I  wish  that 
dining-rooms  might  be  freed  of  baby-carriages  and 
sewing-machines.  When  I  say  this  I  do  not  mean 
any  criticism  of  difficult  conditions.  Where  neces- 
sity rules,  criticism  is  unjust,  but  in  many  houses 
the  proprieties  are  violated  by  people  who  dis- 
regard everything  but  that  which  is  convenient. 
Children's  books,  perambulators,  a  mother's  work- 
basket,  are  not  only  pardonable  in  a  dining-room, 
but  quite  admissible  and  interesting  at  times,  when 
it  is  easily  apparent  that  the  rest  of  the  house  is  too 
small  to  contain  them. 

I  speak  with  a  certain  feeling  of  these  different 
conditions,  remembering  as  I  do  a  whole  row  of 
houses  put  up  in  a  college  town,  houses  too  fine  for 
the  professors  or  even  for  the  president  himself. 
Each  dining-room  had  a  bay-window.  In  almost 
every  window  the  passers-by  could  see  a  sewing  ma- 
chine. In  the  morning  the  sewing  machine  was  pre- 
sided over  by  the  woman  of  the  house  ;  in  the 
afternoon  it  was  closed  and  shoved  against  the 
sash,  the  mother  having  joined  her  husband  on 
the  front  steps  or  in  a  rocker  on  the  porch,  while 
the  children  romped  in  the  grass  plot  or  on  the 
pavements.  A  life  like  this  represents  no  ideal  of 
simplicity.  It  merely  betrays  an  absence  of  all 
sense  of  the  fitness  of  things,  and  an  absence,  too, 
of  all  feeling  for  the  social  graces.  With  so  large 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  so  expensive  a  house,  why  not  a  sewing-room 
upstairs  ?  None  of  the  professors,  small  and  un- 
pretentious as  their  houses  were,  kept  sewing 
machines  in  the  dining-room  :  certainly  not  the 
president,  who  could  never  have  afforded  one  of 
these  costly  domiciles.  Such  facts  as  these  are  too 
often  forgotten  in  the  criticisms  which  one  class  of 
society  makes  of  another,  and  in  the  discontent  so 
often  expressed  by  people  of  newly  acquired  wealth 
to  whom  social  recognition,  by  poorer  people,  is 
denied.  A  dining-room  in  a  country  house  may 
have  white  enamelled  wood-work  rich  in  Colonial 
detail,  a  lovely  flowered  paper,  ruffled  muslin  cur- 
tains, and  genuine  mahogany  furniture  costing  more 
than  the  entire  furniture  of  some  houses,  and  still 
convince  you  by  the  objects  on  the  mantel  and 
sideboard  that  the  aim  of  the  mistress  has  been  to 
preserve  great  simplicity.  Or  it  may  have  wood- 
work of  yellow  pine,  cheap  muslin  hangings  at  the 
windows ;  chairs  of  common  wood  painted  white ; 
and  yet  by  a  touch  or  two,  the  introduction  of 
flowers  and  well-chosen  china,  assume  both  charm 
and  importance. 

About  seven  miles  out  of  Palma  on  the  Island  of 
Majorca  there  is  a  fascinating  country  house  owned 
by  the  Count  of  Montenegro  to  which  he  pays 
occasional  visits.  His  dining-room,  a  yellow  and 
blue  room,  was  made  lovely  with  a  wood  that  I 
think  must  have  been  olive,  it  was  so  like  the  little 
boxes  sold  in  Sorrento,  burlaps,  and  blue  and  white 
Majolica.  The  heavy  ceiling  beams  were  of  this 

'S3 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

yellow  wood  inlaid  with  great  plates  of  genuine 
blue  and  white  Majolica.  The  walls  and  high- 
backed  olive-wood  chairs  were  covered  with  undyed 
burlaps.  The  blue  on  the  chairs  appeared  in  coats 
of  arms  done  in  blue  and  white  cotton  and  placed 
in  the  left-hand  upper  corner  of  each  chair.  An 
alcove  at  one  end  of  the  room  was  entirely  filled 
with  a  glass-enclosed  cupboard  filled  with  the  rarest 
specimens  of  blue  and  white  Majolica. 

When  the  country  house  is  used  for  entertaining 
on  an  elaborate  scale,  when  it  represents  nothing 
more,  in  fact,  than  a  transfer  of  social  obligations 
from  a  town  house  to  one  by  the  ocean  or  in  the 
Highlands,  the  dining-room  must  be  treated  with  a 
greater  consideration.  The  informality  and  make- 
shifts can  have  no  place  in  it.  Indeed,  when  one 
ascends  in  the  scale  of  sumptuous  living,  town 
and  country-house  dining-rooms  differ  but  little. 
Nobody  in  town  wants  stuffy  hangings  in  a  dining- 
room.  They  are  quite  as  objectionable  in  the  coun- 
try. Wood  is  used  on  the  walls  in  either  place,  so 
are  marbles  and  costly  tapestries.  The  room  is 
made  to  stand  for  itself,  to  suggest  in  every  detail 
the  fact  that  it  has  been  made  to  dine  in ;  that  it  is 
not  an  ordinary  chamber  transformed  into  an  eating 
place  by  the  presence  of  some  chairs,  a  table,  and  a 
sideboard. 

The  back  parlors  of  ordinary  city  houses  are  not 
necessarily  dining-rooms  —  a  chair,  a  desk,  and  a 
case  for  instruments,  and  the  office  of  a  doctor 
or  a  dentist  appears ;  a  few  book-shelves  and  wide 

'54 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

table  and  lamps,  and  we  have  a  reading-room. 
At  the  same  time  these  rooms  may  be  made  into 
lovely  dining-rooms  ;  but  they  must  be  treated  with 
dignity. 

The  sideboard  shown  in  one  of  the  illustrations 
stands  in  a  conventional  town-house  dining-room. 
A  burlaps  of  exquisite  apple-green  hue  covers  the 
wall.  The  wood-work  is  white.  The  curtains  are 
of  fine  green  corduroy  with  silvery  lights.  The 
effect  is  cool  and  refreshing.  A  dinner  in  this  room 
is  a  delight.  Candles  are  used  everywhere,  on  the 
table,  the  sideboard,  and  mantel ;  none  of  the  oxy- 
gen in  the  air  is  consumed  by  gas. 

In  another  dining-room  with  white  wood-work 
and  green  walls,  the  hangings  are  of  rose  silk 
looped  over  brass  rods.  The  rods,  imitating  an 
old  fashion  of  a  half-century  ago,  are  huge  gilt 
arrows,  good  in  design  because  simple. 

No  lover  of  color  will  be  content  unless  a  dining- 
room  is  arranged  so  that  every  detail  of  light  and 
color  is  made  harmonious.  This,  of  course,  can 
only  be  accomplished  after  much  study.  An  in- 
teresting example  of  what  has  been  done  is  found 
in  a  dining-room  of  a  town  house,  modelled,  in  the 
beginning,  along  purely  conventional  lines,  its  front 
and  back  parlor  divided  by  folding  doors.  The 
room  has  a  ceiling  eleven  and  a  half  feet  high.  The 
dado,  six  feet  in  height,  is  a  Japanese  leather  paper 
of  dull  mahogany  red,  finished  by  a  shelf  on  which 
are  placed  bits  of  pottery  and  old  tankards.  From 
this  shelf  to  the  picture-moulding  there  is  another 

TS5 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Japanese  paper,  four  feet  wide,  showing  the  mahog- 
any and  gold  tones  of  Spanish  leather.  The  frieze 
and  ceiling  are  tinted  with  bronze  gold.  The  wood- 
work is  of  cherry  polished  and  darkened  to  a  dull 
tone.  The  furniture  is  mahogany.  The  colored 
pictures  are  framed  in  gold ;  etchings  in  mahogany. 
None  have  white  mats.  All  the  lights  are  shaded 
with  ruby  glass,  the  gas  never  being  turned  above  a 
point.  From  the  four  corners  of  the  ceiling  Vene- 
tian brass  altar-lamps  are  suspended,  the  tapers 
hidden  in  ruby  cups.  The  floor  is  covered  with 
a  dull  red  carpet,  having  a  small  design  repeating 
the  wall  color.  Hangings  and  chair  covers  are 
of  dull  red  plush.  A  wistaria  vine  has  been  trained 
over  an  arbor  that  shades  the  dining-room  window. 
The  light  through  its  leaves  fills  the  room  with 
a  cool,  yellow -green  tone,  and  relieves  it  of  all 
feeling  of  oppression  when  the  heat  of  summer 
begins. 

A  gaily  flowered  paper  is  an  impossibility  in  the 
dining-rooms  of  town  houses,  admissible  as  it  may 
be  in  an  apartment.  Dark  papers  are  restful  but 
cannot  give  richness. 

When  French  walnut  is  used  to  finish  one  of 
these  conventional  rooms,  a  high  wainscoting,  with 
Spanish  leather  above,  makes  a  room  of  great  dig- 
nity and  repose.  I  know  one  instance  in  which 
the  wood  panelling  for  the  walls  was  imported 
directly  from  Italy,  and  put  up  in  an  ordinary  city 
dining-room.  The  window,  thrown  out  as  a  big 
bay,  was  filled  with  leaded  glass  of  charming  rest- 

156 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ful  tones.  Of  course  no  color  appeared  on  the 
walls ;  even  the  covers  of  the  low  window-seats 
were  subdued  in  tone.  The  treatment  of  the  win- 
dow was  especially  delightful,  and  its  fashion  a  good 
one  to  follow. 

In  many  cases  a  dining-room  with  panelled  walls 
is  quite  destroyed  by  the  introduction  of  ordinary 
window-frames  with  ordinary  panes  of  glass,  — 
panes  of  glass  which  in  town  must,  of  course,  be 
curtained  for  privacy.  When  stained  glass  is  out 
of  the  question,  leaded  panes,  semi-clear,  give  a 
sense  of  seclusion.  When  following  good  designs, 
the  leaded  window  helps  to  give  the  panelled  room 
the  air  of  a  symmetrical  composition.  Ordinary 
window  glass  robs  the  room  of  elegance. 

In  a  dining-room  panelled  with  polished  walnut 
the  frieze  is  sometimes  painted  in  rich,  dull  tones, 
after  Venetian  models,  sometimes  treated  with  plas- 
ter in  low  relief,  or  with  leather.  Thus  one  din- 
ing-room has  mahogany  wainscoting,  the  frieze 
above  filled  with  a  fine  French  cretonne  chosen 
for  its  color  and  design,  the  nature  of  the  mate- 
rial not  being  distinguishable  at  the  height  at 
which  it  appears.  Green  velvet  brocade,  repeating 
the  tones  of  the  stems  in  the  flowered  cretonne 
and  broken  by  yellow,  appear  in  the  curtains  and 
on  the  chairs.  Chippendale  mahogany  furniture  is 
used. 

Another  dining-room  is  of  old  black-oak,  the 
frieze  of  green  tapestry.  Green  tapestry  is  used 
on  the  tall,  black-oak  dining  chairs.  All  the  fur- 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

niture  is  Italian.  A  carved  sideboard  of  much 
beauty,  picked  up  in  Venice,  was  the  centre  round 
which  the  room  was  fashioned. 

With  the  gray-green  of  chestnut,  the  greens 
of  plants  will  be  found  to  blend  in  the  happiest 
harmony,  the  plants  to  appear  in  pots,  or  per- 
haps in  a  lovely  old  stained  marble  fountain  with 
a  circular  basin  on  its  slim  pedestal.  Sometimes, 
when  a  room  is  large,  a  Byzantine  temple  of 
white  marble  inlaid  with  mosaics  is  introduced  in 
a  corner  and  kept  filled  with  growing  maidenhair 
ferns,  freshened  by  the  constant  spray  of  tiny  water- 
spouts. 

One  dining-room  floor  is  made  of  oak  with  a 
marble  border,  an  importation  from  Italy.  The 
arch  of  the  window  is  supported  by  rare  marble 
columns,  of  seven  tones,  with  great  gilt  capitals, 
brown  Sicily,  that  rich  and  marvellous  storehouse 
of  art  treasures.  The  ceiling  and  deep  frieze,  in 
Italian  renaissance,  show  a  blue  ground  with  an 
arabesque  of  gold  in  high  relief.  The  door  is  an 
old  church  altar,  also  blue  and  gold,  the  gold  in 
high  relief  on  the  blue.  The  finest  old  tapestry 
covers  the  walls. 

All  of  these  more  elaborate  dining-rooms  have 
been  carefully  studied  by  skilled  designers ;  the 
objects  placed  in  them  have  been  secured  only  after 
many  excursions  through  old  palaces  of  Europe. 
They  are  beyond  the  reach  of  the  ordinary  mortal, 
and  their  imitations  in  cheaper  materials  would  be 
absolutely  unpardonable.  Imitations,  by  the  way, 

158 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

are  always  dangerous.  They  do  incalculable  harm 
in  blinding  us  to  the  virtues  of  the  genuine  article, 
and  in  creating  a  disgust  for  the  good  thing,  which 
we  know  only  through  some  spurious  example. 
We  react  from  gilt  chairs  because  we  have  never 
seen  really  fine  gilt  chairs  in  appropriate  places,  — 
only  bad  imitations  placed  in  surroundings  where 
they  never  belong. 

In  large  houses,  the  elaborately  designed  dining- 
room  is  only  used  for  the  mid-day  or  evening  meal. 
Small  breakfast-rooms  are  provided  upstairs,  or  in 
another  part  of  the  house,  where  an  informal  meal, 
like  breakfast,  can  be  taken  in  quiet,  with  simply  a 
maid  in  attendance. 

Except  in  the  very  old  town  houses,  rapidly  dis- 
appearing in  New  York,  —  one  seldom  sees  the 
pretty  china  closets  of  an  earlier  era.  Mahogany 
cabinets  with  glass  doors  have  been  made  to  take 
their  places,  or  the  old-fashioned  mahogany  corner- 
cabinet.  Yet  these  old  china  closets  built  into  the 
wall  were  worthy  of  preservation.  They  are  often 
repeated  in  town  houses  to-day,  are  appropriate 
almost  anywhere,  and  add  immensely  to  simple  and 
conventional  interiors.  Wood,  repeating  a  con- 
ventional design,  is  sometimes  used  to  enclose  the 
small  panes.  Lead  is  often  employed.  These 
closets  appear  over  the  mantel,  at  its  side,  or  in 
the  corners  of  the  room,  sometimes  completely  fill- 
ing one  end  of  it.  The  finest  of  china  alone  is 
kept  in  them. 

The   dining-room    floor  should    be   bare,   except 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

for  the  rug  under  the  dining  table.  This  should 
always  be  large  enough  to  surround  the  chairs  about 
the  table ;  never  so  thick  that  its  nap  will  catch 
the  chair  legs,  and  never  so  thin  that  it  will  wrinkle 
when  a  chair  is  moved. 


*  vy 

1  MKJ-  ove.r     / 

TWn<TTak>I« 


160 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   X 

THE   DINING-ROOM  :    THE   DECORA- 
TION   OF    THE    TABLE 


IN  the  sixties  and  early  seventies 
of  the  last  century,  it  was  proper 
to  set  a  dinner-table  with  wonderful 
forms  in  sugars  and  sweets,  pyramids 
of  nougat  and  candied  oranges  ;  little 
cakes  surmounted  by  animals  made 
of  icing ;  fruits  and  jellies  that  were 
a   feast    to   the   eye.      I   miss   those 
jellies  even  to  this   day,  —  "  jellies 
soother    than    the    creamy    curd," 
charming    in    color,   transparent    in 
tone.     The  slightest  jar  to  the  table 
set    them    quivering.      To-day    we 
never  see  a  jelly  arranged  on  the 
dinner-table,  and   seldom   a  jelly 

at  a11'  UnksS  'lt  be  in  occasional 
houses  with  traditions  of  a  long 

ago ;  or,  abomination  of  abominations,  unless  it  be 
a  lemon  jelly  without  flavor  —  no  touch  of  sherry 
or  brandy  —  served  in  oranges  scooped  out  and 
made  ready  to  receive  it.  We  have  of  course  the 
currant  and  cranberry  jelly,  brought  in  with  certain 
meats  and  poultry,  but  we  get  only  a  glimpse 
11  161 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  these  as  they  are  handed  about  by  the  butler. 
They  are  not  the  jellies  that  I  remember. 

That  other  fashion,  too,  of  removing  the  white 
cover  and  leaving  the  table  bare  for  the  nuts  and  the 
wines  has  long  since  become  extinct  —  the  fashion 
which  gave  its  name  to  the  silver  coaster  or  holder 
in  which  the  'decanter  of  port  or  Madeira  was  set, 
and  which  was  moved  about  among  the  guests 
at  the  table,  "  coasting  "  its  edges,  the  thick  green 
baize  on  its  base  preventing  the  scratching  of  the 
highly  polished  mahogany. 

Not  one  of  these  old  customs  or  fashions  survives. 
Our  dinner-tables  are  never  dismantled  until  the  last 
guest  has  departed  and  the  doors  of  the  drawing- 
room  are  closed.  The  dinner  and  luncheon  tables 
of  the  day  all  follow  a  form  of  decoration  more  or 
less  rigid,  and  removed  as  far  as  possible  from  the 
bounteous  methods  of  our  forefathers.  No  vege- 
tables appear  on  them  ;  no  entrees,  no  made  dessert. 
The  jardiniere  of  growing  ferns  has  in  many  houses 
given  way  to  a  silver  pitcher  resting  on  a  silver  tray 
provided  with  very  low  legs.  Sometimes  this  pitcher, 
which  must  always  be  good  in  form  and  workman- 
ship, is  filled  with  flowers.  Nobody  makes  any 
demur  if  it  be  empty.  About  it,  on  the  table,  are 
laid  some  spoons  of  interesting  or  unique  design, 
the  little  dishes  for  the  sweets,  the  candied  nuts,  and 
fruits.  At  dinner  there  are  always  the  candlesticks. 
When  a  man  likes  the  sentiment  of  carving  for  those 
about  his  board,  he  does  it  at  the  table.  When  he 
is  disinclined  to  perform  the  service,  the  waitress  or 

162 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  butler  carves  at  the  side-table  always  at  formal 
dinners. 

These  more  or  less  rigid  forms  of  lay-out,  however, 
merely  represent  foundations  upon  which  certain 
other  forms  of  decoration  can  be  built,  decora- 
tions which  must  vary  with  place  and  circumstance 
and  always  with  the  season.  Flowers  and  fruits 


appear.  Blendings  and  effects  of  color  are  studied, 
compositions  in  which  the  flowers  and  the  candle- 
shades  are  considered  together,  or  the  fruits  and 
the  vessels  which  contain  the  flowers.  The  idea  is, 
whether  the  table  be  set  for  luncheon  or  dinner,  to 
provide  a  central  point  of  interest.  Sometimes  it  is 
the  silver  pitcher  to  which  reference  has  just  been 

163 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

made ;  sometimes  it  is  simply  a  glass  vase  or  a  bit 
of  good  pottery  with  flowers. 

When  a  dinner  for  twenty  people  or  more  is  to 
be  elaborate  in  character,  preparations  of  a  more 
splendid  order  are  made.  The  centre  of  the  table 
will  then  be  transformed  into  a  pool  of  water,  with 
a  tiny  fountain  playing  over  aquatic  plants,  the  pool 
being  circled  by  banks  of  violets  and  lilies  of  the 
valley.  Sometimes,  too,  the  whole  room  will  be 
embowered  with  flowers,  arched  like  an  arbor  over 
the  table  itself,  roses,  blossoms  down,  hanging  from 
the  trellis,  like  bunches  of  grapes  from  the  vine. 
Or  the  centre  of  the  table  may  be  filled  with  masses 
of  pink  roses,  encircled  with  maidenhair  ferns. 
The  mirrors  about  the  room  will  then  be  trimmed 
with  curtains  of  smilax,  parted  in  the  middle  and 
looped  back  over  brass  disks,  while  wreaths  of  pink 
orchids  are  made  to  fall  from  the  centres  of  the  rod 
and  over  the  mirrors. 

Fruits  and  flowers  out  of  season  —  and  to  be  val- 
ued by  certain  people  they  must  always  be  out  of 
season  —  will  appear  in  town  during  the  winter  and 
in  Newport  during  the  summer.  But  these  repre- 
sent forms  of  entertaining  and  of  decorating  which 
the  majority  of  us  need  never  attempt  to  emulate. 
They  lie  beyond  our  reach. 

Our  concern  is  with  the  table  to  which  a  family 
has  all  its  life  accustomed  itself,  which  it  sets  with 
greater  elaboration  for  its  guests,  but  without  de- 
parting from  certain  established  ways  of  placing 
knives  and  forks,  providing  finger-bowls,  and  cut- 

164 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ting  the  bread.  Such  a  table  should  be  always  im- 
maculate and  always  pretty. 

Respect  for  environment  has  always  a  fascinating 
element  in  it  for  me.  I  have  a  certain  enthusiasm 
for  a  woman  who  can  pay  for  all  the  roses  she  wants 
to  import  from  a  town,  and  yet  who  prefers  to 
supply  her  country-house  table  with  flowers  from 
her  own  garden ;  who  will  use  sweet-peas  in  their 
season,  asters  in  the  fall,  or  the  common  ground- 
pine  when  her  garden  has  succumbed  to  autumn 
frosts.  And  I  feel,  too,  that  that  other  woman  was 
possessed  of  a  certain  genius  who  discovered  that 
the  silvery  mullein  stalk,  freshly  covered  with  dew- 
drops,  when  placed  in  a  silver  bowl  filled  with  cold 
water  that  covered  it  with  frost,  was  the  most  ex- 
quisite of  table  decorations  for  an  early  breakfast 
in  summer.  Then  the  woman  who  first  used  the 
exquisite  white  blossom  of  the  despised  white  carrot, 
surrounding  it  with  a  mass  of  maidenhair  fern, — 
we  all  owe  her  a  debt  for  her  inspiration ! 

I  like  respect  paid  to  the  seasons,  —  the  first  jon- 
quils brought  into  service  for  spring  luncheons,  the 
first  hyacinths,  the  first  fragrant  white  lilacs ;  above 
all,  the  first  sweet-smelling  pineapple.  A  pineapple 
can  be  filled  with  a  fruit  salad  or  strawberries.  The 
top,  with  its  stiff  plumes  of  green  leaves,  may  be 
lifted  like  a  lid  when  the  berries  or  the  fruit  salad 
buried  inside  are  to  be  served.  No  aroma  is  so 
subtle,  so  pervasive,  so  exquisite.  It  suggests  cool- 
ness and  freshness,  and  when,  during  the  late  spring 
or  early  summer  in  town,  the  heat  has  begun  to  pall, 

165 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

it  is  the  most  delightful  of  fruits,  for  its  perfume 
alone :  I  like  to  buy  an  over-ripe  pineapple,  cut  it 
up,  and  place  it  on  saucers  in  out-of-the-way  places 
around  the  room,  merely  for  the  sake  of  the  fra- 
grance. To  my  mind,  no  decoration  in  a  dining- 
room  —  none  at  least  associated  with  a  household 
feast  or  festivity  —  can  leave  out  the  element  of  per- 
fume or  aroma.  The  smell  of  the  evergreens  — 
that  pungent,  exquisite  odor  of  hemlock  half  dried 


and  unduly  heated  —  belongs  distinctively  to  the 
Christmas  season.  We  all  know  what  the  perfume 
of  roses  does  for  a  dining-room,  or  that  of  peaches, 
nectarines,  and  raspberries. 

From  childhood  I  still  carry  the  remembrance 
of  the  perfume  of  heliotrope  on  a  hot  day  in  a 
dining-room  on  the  Hudson.  The  room  I  entered, 
after  a  scorching  drive  over  a  long  sunny  road,  was 
made  cool  by  vines  and  awnings  at  the  window,  and 

166 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

by  a  huge  lump  of  ice  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
luncheon-table  and  cut,  after  a  fashion  no  longer 
existing  among  us,  with  a  round  hole  in  the  middle 
to  hold  a  mass  of  heliotrope.  The  flower  has  sug- 
gested to  me  ever  since  refreshing  coolness. 

The  passion-flower,  when  cut  from  its  stem, 
turned  face  up  and  laid  about  on  the  table,  is 
a  fashion  as  pretty  as  that  once  prevailing  in  the 
South,  when  pink  damask  roses  without  stems 
were  scattered  over  the  cloth.  To-day  violets  are 
used  in  the  same  way,  both  for  luncheons  and  for 
dinners  —  a  bank  of  them  in  the  centre  of  the  table, 
and  handfuls  scattered  over  the  cloth.  The  candles 
for  the  dinner-table  are  then  either  left  without 
shades,  which  many  people  prefer,  or  show  violets 
in  some  form.  When  one  can  afford  to  use 
orchids  in  the  centre  of  the  table,  scattered  over 
the  cloth  or  laid  like  strands  of  ribbon  from  the 
centrepiece  to  each  plate,  one  attains  a  surpassing 
excellence. 

When  all  else  fails,  the  scattering  of  ferns  over  a 
table  is  not  to  be  despised.  In  the  autumn  the 
scarlet  Virginia  creeper  is  most  beautiful  used  in  this 
way,  so  is  the  vine  of  the  blackberry  —  a  bowl  in 
the  middle  of  the  table  and  some  tendrils  laid  on  the 
cover.  In  the  autumn,  too,  grapes  are  fascinating 
as  a  decoration,  arranged  in  a  dish  with  leaves,  some 
of  the  bunches  falling  over  the  edges  of  the  dish.  It 
is  no  unusual  thing  to  see  fruits  laid  about  on  the 
table,  as  flowers  are  laid,  but  one  must  have  a  sure 
touch  and  not  leave  the  decorations  to  the  butler. 

167 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

A  dinner-table  in  late  February,  when  each  guest 
in  a  town  house  has  begun  to  long  for  spring,  is 
made  delightful  with  yellow  jonquils  in  a  light, 
highly  polished  copper  jar,  especially  when  four 
brass  candelabra  are  placed  about  them  and  the 
candles  are  left  without  shades.  Pink  roses  have 
a  quality  that  satisfies,  whatever  the  season.  White 
roses  with  maidenhair  fern  are  beautiful  in  silver  or 
glass.  The  white  tulip  has  a  never-failing  loveli- 
ness, always  enhanced  when  the  delicate  pink  of  its 
lining  is  visible. 

When  spring  has  come  a  luncheon-table  may 
be  made  lovely  with  the  blossoms  and  leaves  of 
the  wistaria  in  a  basket  of  wood-green  straw  placed 
in  the  centre  of  the  table,  the  handles  tied  with 
a  wide  satin  ribbon  exactly  matching  the  blossoms. 
A  dinner-table,  when  the  nights  are  hot  in  town, 
may  be  made  an  unforgetable  picture  by  the  pink 
and  white  blossoms  of  the  quince  or  the  apple- 
tree,  in  a  high  vase  in  the  middle  of  the  table, 
the  branches  spreading.  About  the  table  in  low 
glass  bowls  bunches  of  the  white  lilac  must  then 
be  arranged.  The  light  should  fall  from  overhead 
through  the  pink  and  white  blossoms. 

Although  silver  pitchers,  vases,  and  quaint  urns 
have  become  fashionable  for  flowers  in  the  middle 
of  a  table,  men  with  highly  developed  aesthetic 
senses  decry  the  use  of  silver  with  flowers.  "  You 
would  not  be  guilty  of  such  a  thing,  would  you  ? " 
one  of  these  men  asked  me  —  a  very  old  man,  with 
traditions  of  bygone  day s-^- an  old  man  who  loves 

1 68 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

flowers  as  some  of  us  love  people.  He  will  bring 
me  a  single  blossom  from  his  garden,  and  I  feel 
when  I  receive  it  as  though  one  of  his  children  had 
been  confided  to. my  care.  He  thinks  nothing  but 
pottery  or  glass  proper  for  them,  a  bit  of  crystal,  or 
a  Venetian  vase.  We  both  agree  on  one  point,  he 
and  I,  when  we  are  discussing  these  questions,  —  that 
nothing  is  really  prettier,  particularly  in  the  centre 
of  a  table,  than  a  round,  perfectly  clear  fish-bowl 
(one  may  be  had  for  fifty  cents).  The  stems  of  the 
flowers  are  then  visible,  and  the  lights  reflected  in 
the  water  in  a  way  we  both  find  entrancing.  He 
drew  my  attention  to  another  point  in  favor  of  these 
fish  bowls,  —  that  they  are  low  enough  not  to  in- 
terrupt the  gaze  across  the  table  ;  for  at  many  lunch- 
eons and  dinners,  because  of  the  floral  decorations 
between,  it  is  impossible  to  exchange  a  word  with 
one's  opposite  neighbor.  "  Conversation  is  a  sauce," 
he  will  say  to  me.  "  A  dinner  lacks  flavor  without 
it.  If  we  are  summoned  to  a  man's  board  only  to 
be  fed  and  then  sent  away,  we  might  as  well  have  a 
series  of  stalls  arranged,  and  guests  driven  in  them, 
two  by  two." 

I  have  one  friend  who  possesses  a  tall,  exquisite, 
and  perfectly  plain  crystal  pitcher  of  beautiful  classic 
proportions,  which  she  uses  in  the  centre  of  her  table, 
often  with  the  purple  iris  of  summer.  Nothing  can 
exceed  its  beauty.  Though  I  have  lunched  with 
her  again  and  again,  I  can  never  remember  any- 
thing she  has  given  me  to  eat,  but  I  am  always  be- 
witched anew  with  the  beauty  of  that  simple  crystal 

169 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

pitcher,    holding    its    half   a    dozen    long-stemmed 
blossoms. 

While  still  on  the  subject  of  glass  vases,  it  may 
be  as  well  to  say,  that  many  most  excellent  examples, 
costing  not  more  than  ten  cents,  are  to  be  found 
everywhere ;  they  are  good  in  form,  simple  in  de- 
tail, and  excellent  for  country  houses  where  flowers 
abound.  Of  course  the  moment  that  these  vases 
appear  with  painted  decorations,  or  that  they  are 
in  any  way  colored,  that  moment  their  value  is 
destroyed. 

Just  here,  too,  I  would  like  to  say,  that  in  this 
day  of  great  profusion,  it  always  adds  a  note  of  ele- 
gance to  separate  flowers,  and  to  have  one  or  two 
appear  by  themselves  on  a  table,  —  a  single  rose  or 
a  lily  in  a  long-stemmed  glass,  —  not  only  because  a 
single  flower  being  beautiful  is  worthy  of  contempla- 
tion, but  because  good  taste  proclaims  against  too 
indiscriminate  a  massing  of  beautiful  things,  unless 
the  production  of  sumptuous  effects  is  the  object, 
and  one  wants  masses  of  flowers  for  the  sake  of 
their  color.  I  remember  a  single  orchid  at  the 
table  of  a  friend  which  gave  me  a  pleasure  delight- 
ful to  recall,  even  after  many  years.  The  orchid,  full 
of  green  and  yellow  tones,  was  placed  with  a  spray 
of  maidenhair  fern  in  a  slender  glass  of  Venice,  full  of 
softest  yellows  and  greens. 

For  "  the  fun  of  the  thing,"  as  children  say,  —  for 
the  sentiment  of  it,  as  older  persons  put  it,  —  tables 
may,  on  gala  days,  be  arranged  with  special  outfits 
and  souvenirs,  the  insignia  of  championship  in  golf 

170 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

or  tennis  ;  with  candied  ships  on  yachting  days,  or 
with  whatever  the  pleasure  and  excitement  of  the 
moment  suggest.  The  occasion  makes  the  justifi- 
cation, but  the  occasion  must  not  be  prolonged,  else, 
like  a  diet  of  highly  seasoned  sauces,  it  ends  by 
destroying  the  appetite. 

A  Thanksgiving  dinner-table  can,  in  its  outlay, 
express  a  lavishness  not  proper  to  the  conventional 


.OXJLIS 


dinners  of  other  seasons,  for  a  Thanksgiving  lavish- 
ness  is  the  order  of  the  day.  Everything  expressing 
richness,  fulness,  and  bounty  belong  to  it.  Nature 
has  then  yielded  her  fruits,  and  man  has  reaped  the 
harvest,  and  a  time  of  universal  rejoicing  follows ; 
of  exultation,  of  returning  thanks  ;  of  making  merry 
over  benefits  received.  Everything  is  gathered  to- 

171 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

gether  at  that  time,  the  stores  of  field  and  forest; 
the  children  and  grandchildren  of  scattered  sons 
and  daughters.  A  cornucopia  suggests  the  bounty 
of  the  day.  It  may  be  made  of  cardboard  or  wire, 
and  covered  with  leaves.  From  the  mouth  of  the 
horn,  bunches  of  grapes,  red-cheeked  apples,  pears, 
nuts,  and  oranges  fall  over  the  cloth.  The  colors, 
when  studied,  are  enchanting.  A  pumpkin  may  take 
the  place  of  the  cornucopia.  It  must  be  scooped  out, 
and  filled  with  all  the  fruits  and  nuts  of  the  season, 
with  grapes  especially,  those  of  purple  tones  blend- 
ing charmingly  with  it ;  some  of  the  bunches  falling 
over  the  edge,  lie  on  the  cloth.  The  brilliant  leaves 
of  the  blackberry  vine,  which  are  scarlet  at  that 
time  of  the  year,  are  fascinating  when  made  to  run 
from  the  pumpkin  to  each  plate.  I  have  seen  artists 
spend  an  hour  over  the  composition,  choosing  the 
fruits  as  they  would  the  colors  for  a  canvas.  The 
effect,  when  finished,  was  almost  that  of  a  Paul 
Veronese  in  color,  and  like  all  color,  impossible 
to  describe. 

When  the  Thanksgiving  dinner  is  at  night,  the 
candle-shades  are  trimmed  with  autumn  leaves.  The 
light  of  gas  or  electricity,  unless  shaded,  will  mar 
the  best  of  compositions. 

At  Christmas,  as  the  desire  should  be  to  express 
less  of  exultation  in  the  gifts  received  than  of  joy 
in  bestowing,  everything  should  express  light  and 
radiance,  all  the  out-going  qualities.  The  win- 
dows should  express  it,  the  fireside,  the  halls,  the 
table. 

172 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

By  common  consent  —  that  common  consent 
which  results  from  an  instinctive  recognition  of  the 
fact  that  those  things  which  nature  yields  at  Christ- 
mas are  those  best  adapted  to  the  celebration  of  the 
day  —  by  common  consent,  then,  evergreens  are 
universally  used  for  Christmas,  —  the  hemlock,  the 
holly,  the  mistletoe,  the  pine,  and  the  laurel.  Hap- 
pily they  come  within  reach  of  the  poor. 

I  have  known  many  beautiful  Christmas  dinner- 
tables,  some  that  have  seated  twenty  or  more  guests, 
and  been  set  out  with  family  plate  representing  heir- 
looms of  several  generations  ;  tables  that  have  been 
decorated  with  a  profusion  of  flowers  fresh  from 
country  greenhouses  and  exquisite  in  their  loveliness. 
And  I  have  been  at  dinners  when  merry-making 
prevailed,  and  the  centre  of  the  table  was  adorned 
with  a  small  Nuremberg  Christmas-tree  lighted  with 
candles,  hung  with  tiny  toys,  and  surrounded  by  the 
faces  of  happy  children.  I  have  been  at  many,  as  I 
said  ;  but  for  charm,  and  beauty,  and  radiance,  I  have 
never  known  one  to  exceed  in  loveliness  a  bare 
mahogany  table  trimmed  with  nothing  but  holly 
berries  and  leaves. 

The  round  table,  at  which  seats  for  ten  were  laid, 
was  highly  polished,  so  that  it  shone  like  the  glass 
and  crystal  with  which  it  was  set.  All  the  lights  in 
the  room  were  turned  down  except  that  of  the  cir- 
cular drop-light  from  the  chandelier  shaded  in  red 
and  brought  to  within  a  few  inches  of  the  tops  of  the 
candles.  The  red  shades  of  the  candles  were  deco- 
rated with  holly.  A  wreath  of  red  holly  was  placed 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

in  the  centre  of  the  table  round  the  fruit.  Bunches 
of  holly  were  scattered  about  the  table  and  tucked 
into  each  napkin.  The  bon-bons  imitated  the 
berry.  I  am  quite  sure  that  a  white  cloth  would 
have  robbed  the  table  of  its  charm,  been  distracting, 
and  quite  destroyed  the  impression  of  a  general  glit- 
ter and  sparkle.  A  long  narrow  table,  seating  twenty, 
would  have  had  to  be  carefully  studied  before  the 
cloth  was  omitted.  Any  bare  table,  before  all  else, 
would  have  had  to  be  like  this  one,  —  highly  pol- 
ished. 

A  small  Nuremberg  Christmas-tree  like  that  of 
which  I  have  spoken  is  a  household  possession.  Its 
branches  are  made  of  wire  covered  with  green,  and 
it  stands  in  a  wooden  pot.  For  sick  children  in  a 
nursery,  or  for  old  spinsters  without  children,  one 
of  these  trees  is  a  delight.  I  have  a  friend  who 
for  years  has  carried  one  about.  Once  it  went  across 
the  ocean  to  be  lighted  in  the  Bay  of  Gibraltar  at 
Christmas.  She  brings  it  out  year  after  year,  bend- 
ing its  branches  into  shape,  lighting  its  twenty  tiny 
candles,  and  gathering  young  and  old  about  it. 

The  little  tree  measures  from  the  bottom  of  its 
wooden  pot  to  the  top  of  its  highest  candle  only 
three  feet,  and  was  the  gift  of  a  friend,  who  trimmed  it 
with  every  kind  of  tiny  toy,  with  miniature  dolls,  a 
Kriss  Kringle,  and  its  twenty  candles.  When  lighted 
it  is  a  blaze  of  cheerful  glory,  and  it  has  now  gathered 
to  itself  the  association  and  traditions  of  many  years, 
which  no  real  tree,  faded  with  a  season's  service,  could 
have  boasted.  Of  course,  on  general  principles,  live 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

things  are  best,  and  when  a  forest  tree  is  possible  it 
ought  to  be  had.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are 
people  who  prefer  the  tiny  trees,  and  again  there 
are  others  who,  unless  they  had  the  little  Nurem- 
berg toy,  would  never  know  the  joy  of  Christmas. 


HOMES  AND   THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE    DINING-ROOM  :    THE    APPOINTMENTS    OF 
THE    TABLE 

THE  bride-to-be  asks  again  and  again  :  "What 
shall  I  buy  for  my  table?"  forgetting  how 
much  will  depend  upon  her  place  in  the  world 
and  the  amount  of  entertaining  required  of  her. 
The  extent  of  her  purchases  must  vary  with  her 
circumstances,  but  in  no  condition  of  life,  if  a 
table  is  to  be  properly  set,  can  she  neglect  certain 
fundamentals.  There  must  be  napkins,  china,  sil- 
ver, and  glass.  There  should  be  candlesticks  and 
flowers.  The  candlesticks  and  flowers  are  quite  as 
important  as  the  tumblers.  A  table  which  has  four 
lighted  candles  round  a  bunch  of  pink  roses,  polished 
silver  and  glass  by  each  plate,  with  no  other  fur- 
nishing than  pretty  saltcellars  and  pepper  pots,  is 
a  table  to  which  any  one  may  be  invited.  Splendor 
may  be  added  by  richer  and  more  numerous  ap- 
pointments, but  refinement  is  not  dependent  upon 
any  additions  that  mere  wealth  may  make. 

For  the  convenience  of  the  perplexed,  then,  a 
list  of  articles  for  the  table  is  submitted.  The  list 
is  subject  to  amplifications.  The  size  of  the  family, 
or  the  number  of  guests  a  dining-room  will  hold, 
must  govern  the  number  of  articles  to  be  purchased. 

176 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Tablecloths  for  breakfast,  luncheon,  and  dinner.  Many 
persons,  possessing  valuable  specimens  of  old  oak,  will 
never  at  home  dine  except  on  a  bare  table.  Bare 
mahogany,  too,  is  always  in  order  for  luncheons  and 
"  high  teas,"  but  most  of  the  world  inclines  to  the 
tablecloth.  In  camps  and  simple  cottages,  a  blue 
cotton,  or  linen  stamped  in  white,  is  used  for  luncheon, 
a  piece  of  embroidered  white  linen  in  the  centre  of  the 
table  under  a  bowl  of  flowers ;  but  the  best  tablecloths 
are  invariably  white.  They  are  never  sold  by  the  yard, 
being  specially  woven  in  different  sizes,  so  that  the  top 
of  the  table,  when  set,  shows  a  design  covering  most  of 
the  surface.  When  marked  with  monograms  or  ciphers 
(never  initials)  the  lettering  appears  in  white  at  either 
side  of  the  centre.  The  letters  are  from  two  to  three 
or  more  inches  in  height.  A  cloth  finely  fringed  adds 
to  the  air  of  a  table,  a  coarse  fringe  only  destroys  it. 
Better  effects  are  obtained  with  a  heavy  lace  insertion 
separated  from  the  lace  border  by  a  band  of  linen.  A 
greater  elaboration  carries  one  into  cloths  made  with  a 
centre  of  heavy  church,  or  Italian,  lace,  then  a  band  of 
linen  falling  well  over  the  edge  of  the  table,  finished  with 
a  deep  edge  of  lace  like  that  of  the  centre.  A  cloth 
like  this  is  of  course  reserved  for  special  luncheons  and 
dinners.  Nothing,  however,  can  quite  take  the  place 
of  a  fine  damask  linen  cloth  for  the  dinner-table. 

Napkins  for  breakfast,  luncheon,  and  dinner  are  of  different 
sizes,  the  largest  being  reserved  for  dinner,  and  to  be 
marked  with  a  monogram  in  the  centre.  The  breakfast 
napkins  may  be  marked  with  initials  just  above  the  hem, 
in  the  middle.  Lace  like  that  on  the  tablecloth  trims 
the  napkins  belonging  to  certain  sets,  but  the  inexperienced 
are  safer  when  not  venturing  among  these  elaborations. 
12  I77 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Plain  fine  linen  damasks  are  always  in  order,  whatever 
the  occasion.  No  mistakes  can  be  made  in  buying  them, 
but  whenever  lace  and  embroidery  become  fashionable  in 
the  more  elaborate  sorts,  imitations  quickly  follow. 

Fringed  tea-napkins.  These  can  be  laid  on  small  trays  when 
glasses  of  water  are  handed. 

Doilies  of  drawn-work,  lace,  or  embroidery. 

A  few  centrepieces  to  be  used  on  occasion.  I  say  "occa- 
sion," because  the  fashion  is  ever  changing.  A  few  years 
since  one  saw  pieces  of  costly  lace,  velvet,  and  satin  on 
dinner-tables.  Now  the  reaction  has  carried  us  back  to 
white  tablecloths  with  their  woven  patterns  in  damask. 
On  the  luncheon-table  a  square  of  old  church  lace  is 
often  used  on  the  bare  board. 

Covers  for  tea  and  breakfast  trays.  A  folded  napkin  is 
always  proper  on  a  tray,  but  some  of  the  drawn  or  em- 
broidered linens  are  prettier.  They  must  be  easily  washed 
to  be  endurable. 

Linen  or  embroidered  cover  for  the  tea-table.  The  tea- 
table  must,  like  the  dinner-table,  be  arranged  only  when 
it  is  to  be  used,  never  left  standing  with  tea-cups  in  a 
parlor  from  day  to  day. 

Sideboard  covers.  Embroidered  or  drawn  linen  has  the 
stamp  of  general  approval.  Fluffy  lace  is  never  ad- 
missible, neither  are  dotted  muslin  or  linen  cambrics. 
Ribbons  are  unheard  of.  I  wish  that  I  could  say  as 
much  for  the  red-bordered  napkin  and  cloth  seen  on 
sideboards  in  country  places. 

Asbestos  mats  covered  with  Canton  flannel  and  overlaid 
with  doilies,  to  be  placed  under  hot  plates  when  a  table 
is  bare. 

A  piece  of  thick  Canton  flannel,  or  the  regular  table  felt, 
to  place  under  the  tablecloth. 

178 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Candlesticks  or  candelabra  for  the  table  of  silver,  gold, 
delft,  quaint  china,  glass,  or  brass,  according  to  the  tastes 
and  the  circumstances  of  the  householder,  but  the  cheaper 
the  candlestick,  the  simpler  and  more  unpretentious 
must  be  its  form.  Solid  silver  and  gold  candlesticks  are 
often  finished  with  elaborate  designs  in  high  relief.  China, 
when  it  is  the  product  of  a  famous  manufactory,  like 
Sevre,  Dresden,  Majolica,  represents  a  distinct  creation 
and  stands  for  itself,  so  that  the  question  of  simplicity  or 
elaboration  of  design  does  not  enter  in ;  but  it  does  enter 
in  when  both  the  material  and  the  design  are  cheap  and 
yet  are  made  ornate.  The  conventional  candle-shade  of 
to-day  is  of  perforated  or  cut  silver  put  on  over  a  colored 
silk  under-shade  with  a  plain  silk  fringe  to  match.  The 
colored  under-shades  can  be  changed  when  pink,  yellow, 
or  white  flowers  are  used  in  decorating  the  table. 

A  tea-set.  When  this  is  not  a  wedding  present  and  must 
be  purchased,  care  should  be  expended  in  its  selection. 
A  tea-set  is  a  daily  companion :  like  other  household 
possessions,  it  helps  educate  our  children  in  taste  and 
in  manners.  It  becomes  an  heirloom,  the  pride  of 
generations.  Inartistic  and  tawdry  styles  should  be 
avoided ;  old  models  should  be  studied  for  proportion. 
The  beautiful  old  Sheffield  plate  is,  when  genuine, 
practically  beyond  the  reach  of  most  purchasers ;  but 
there  are  articles  of  plated-ware  manufactured  by  well- 
known  silversmiths  which  are  excellent.  But  until  a 
study  of  good  examples  has  been  made,  one  cannot 
properly  judge  modern  manufactures. 

When  silver  in  any  form  is  impossible  and  china  must  be 
chosen,  the  Japanese  and  Chinese  wares  will  be  found 
cheap  and  most  satisfactory.  The  blue  and  white 
Canton  now  sold  is  always  good  form :  Old  Canton 

179 


HOMES  4ND    THEIR   DECORATION 

is  only  found  among  collectors.  Nankin  china  is  more 
interesting  but  more  costly.  Cantigalli  tea-sets  are  good ; 
Dresden  and  Copenhagen  most  certainly  are,  but  their 
cost  very  nearly  equals  that  of  good  plated  silver.  There 
are,  of  course,  as  we  all  know,  rare  and  costly  china  tea- 
sets  to  be  hidden  behind  glass,  and  used  only  on  occa- 
sions ;  sets  of  exquisite  fine  porcelain,  beautiful  in  color 
and  in  form,  which  collectors  might  envy ;  but  unless 
they  have  been  inherited,  no  person  of  limited  means 
need  hope  to  possess  them. 

A  small  silver  or  small  china  tea-set  to  be  used  on  the 
breakfast  tray  that  is  carried  upstairs.  When  it  is  pos- 
sible, a  tray  specially  appointed  and  dainty  with  porce- 
lain should  be  provided  for  the  invalid.  Such  a  tray, 
with  all  its  pretty  service,  by  the  way,  makes  a  charming 
Christmas  or  birthday  present  for  some  one  shut  up  in 
a  sick-room. 

"  Small  silver,"  —  breakfast,  dinner,  dessert,  and  fish  forks ; 
tea,  soup,  desserts,  and  fruit  spoons ;  ladles  of  different 
sizes,  and  fancy  spoons  for  various  uses. 

Plates  of  every  kind,  description,  and  size  —  small  bread- 
and-butter  plates  matching  the  breakfast  and  luncheon 
plates ;  soup  plates  matching  the  dinner  plates ;  salad 
plates,  dessert  plates,  large  dinner  plates.  Blue  and 
white  Canton  china  will  prove  a  most  satisfactory  pur- 
chase, but  the  purse  of  the  purchaser  must  govern  her 
choice,  when  she  goes  into  more  elaborate  manufactures. 
Even  when  choosing  among  these  her  problems  are  not 
more  simple.  All  costly  china  is  not  beautiful :  some 
of  it  is  atrociously  ugly ;  little  of  it  is  adaptable.  Like 
the  ball  dress  of  a  young  girl,  it  serves  one  occasion 
only.  For  unvarying  adaptability  nothing  is  better  than 
white  china  with  a  gold  border,  marked  with  a  gold 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

monogram,  but  its  appropriateness  is  apt  to  appear 
severe.  Greater  softness  is  had  with  plates  bordered 
by  a  color,  and  having  a  colored  design  in  the  centre. 
Plates  covered  with  flowers  are  often  most  charming, — 
tiny  roses  or  violets  scattered  over  a  white  surface. 
These  may  or  may  not  be  expensive.  Sometimes, 
indeed,  the  very  pretty  ones  are  also  cheap.  The 
decorated  plates  and  platters  seen  in  shop  windows,  in 
studios,  and  country  houses,  are  interesting  for  special 
courses,  but  are  not  to  be  recommended  for  a  large 
table :  the  effect  might  be  tiresome.  People  of  limited 
means  should  choose  simple  things  of  established  worth. 

China  vegetable  dishes  and  platters  should  match  the 
dinner  plates,  but  platters  are  preferable  plated  or  solid 
silver.  They  last  a  lifetime,  outwearing  many  a  china 
dish  nicked  or  cracked  by  careless  hands.  A  soup 
tureen  is  no  longer  a  necessity,  though  a  change  of 
fashion  may  at  any  time  revive  it,  and  necessitate  it  on 
our  table. 

Saltcellars  of  glass,  silver,  or  china,  of  a  quaint  and  pretty 
design,  always  a  thing  from  which  the  salt  may  be 
taken  with  a  spoon.  Pepper  may  be  shaken,  not  salt. 

Large  dishes  for  fruit ;  smaller  one  for  sweets. 

When  no  special  dish  for  a  made  dessert  is  possible  —  an 
ice  cream  or  a  pudding  —  a  napkin  must  be  folded  and 
laid  under  it  on  a  platter. 

Tumblers,  wine-glasses,  finger-bowls  —  of  plain,  thin  glass, 
when  fine  cut-glass  is  not  possible.  Plain  glass  pitchers, 
when  nothing  else  is  to  be  had, —  never  the  highly 
ornamented  cheap  glass. 

On  no  account  permit  any  of  the  following  arti- 
cles on  a  table. 

181 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

A  tablecloth  of  linen  so  coarse  that  it  cannot  be  ironed  to 
lie  smooth :  heavy  linen  is  another  affair,  and  not  to  be 
confused  with  this. 

Tablecloths  and  napkins  with  red  borders  and  fringe. 

Small  individual  butter  plates  of  china,  glass,  or  silver. 

Salt-holders  in  the  shape  of  bottles  with  perforated  metal  tops. 

Decorated  sets  of  cheap  china  that  come  by  the  quantity, 
and  which  in  design  and  color  exactly  repeat  those  used 
on  washstands,  —  sets  of  china  never  seen  in  stores  of 
any  reputation,  but  which  are  sent  to  entrap  the  unwary 
of  small  towns  and  country  districts. 

Cheap  colored  glass  pitchers  and  tumblers,  —  glass  in  blues, 
reds,  and  greens  decorated  with  flowers,  —  which  are  not 
to  be  confused  with  colored  claret  glasses,  though  these 
glasses  cost  little,  or  with  Bohemian  glass. 

Cheap  plated  silver,  with  much  tracing  and  pretentious 
flourishes  about  the  borders. 

Cheap  silver  trays  which  can  never  be  polished  without  the 
silver  rubbing  off  and  showing  a  dark  metal  underneath. 

Silver  treated  with  shellac  to  keep  it  from  tarnishing. 

Vessels  of  any  kind  for  holding  spoons,  bowls  up  :  spoons 
should  be  laid  flat. 

Fancy  designs  and  combinations,  arrangements  in  silver  for 
salts,  peppers,  and  spoons. 

Crocheted  cotton  mats  for  putting  under  the  vegetable  dishes. 

Crumb  brushes  with  colored  tin  receptacles  for  the  scraps 
of  bread  :  a  silver  crumb-scraper,  or,  better  still,  a  nap- 
kin and  plate  should  be  used  ;  the  pieces  of  bread  being 
first  removed  with  a  fork  and  laid  on  an  empty  plate. 

Ordinary  stone  or  china  pitchers  for  water  or  for  milk : 
glass  and  silver  are  proper,  unless  the  china  pitcher  is 
blue  and  white  Canton,  Dresden,  or  the  interesting 
product  of  some  well-known  factory. 

182 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XII 

SIDEBOARDS 

I  FEEL  justified  in  devoting  a  short  chapter  to 
this  subject,  since  it  is  one  that  has  occasioned 
much  confusion  to  many  minds.  What  is  proper 
and  what  is  not  proper  in  a  sideboard  are  questions 
invariably  asked  by  certain  young  housekeepers. 

The  worst  and  most  hopeless  form  of  sideboard, 
as  I  have  said  elsewhere,  is  that  of  the  cheap  oak  of 
commerce,  furnished  with  drawers  below,  a  marble 
slab  on  top,  a  mirror  above  this,  enclosed  by  two 
upright  pieces  at  either  end,  supporting  three  or 
more  shelves.  When  the  monstrosity  is  adorned 
with  casters,  teaspoons  placed  bowls  up  in  a  tumbler 
or  silver  cup,  cheap  white  china  pitchers,  pressed- 
glass  sugar  dishes,  all  placed  on  a  fringed  white 
cover  with  a  red  border,  the  tale  of  the  objection- 
able is  complete. 

Of  course  there  are  oak  sideboards,  and  there  are 
sideboards  with  mirrors  over  them,  and  sideboards 
with  pitchers  standing  on  them,  but  none  of  these 
things  in  the  way  which  I  have  just  described,  — 
never  at  least  if  the  desideratum  of  good  form  has 
been  attained.  We  have  the  black  oak  sideboards 
of  Italy,  with  their  carved  shelves  over  the  cupboard 
below,  shelves  sometimes  of  symmetrical  design  and 

'83 


HOMES  AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

sometimes  of  uneven  lengths  and  surfaces,  and  there 
are  the  beautiful  light  and  dark  oak  sideboards  of 
England,  carved  in  high  relief,  and  the  massive 
old  Flemish  productions  from  Holland,  that  lend 
themselves  with  great  affability  to  various  interiors. 
We  have,  too,  the  beautiful  mahogany  sideboards 
of  Chippendale  and  Sheraton,  with  their  slender 
legs  and  broad  flat  tops.  Then  we  have  some  that 
are  now  to  be  found  in  all  "  antique  "  shops,  —  side- 
boards which  have  been  bought  in  old  houses  for 
a  song  and  which  now  sell  for  a  small  fortune. 
These  have  flat  surfaces,  sometimes  enclosed  by  a 
little  railing,  the  space  below  the  shelf  running  to 
the  floor  and  occupied  by  drawers  and  closets. 
Sometimes  these  sideboards  rest  on  claw  feet,  some- 
times on  simple  rounded  legs. 

Some  happy  examples  of  sideboards  and  their 
appointments  are  shown  in  the  illustrations,  but  for 
the  further  enlightenment  of  the  reader  it  may  be 
as  well  to  suggest  that  sideboards,  whatever  their 
nature,  are  designed  to  hold  and  display  the  family 
plate  and  decanters,  the  silver  pitchers  and  tankards, 
coffee  and  tea-pots,  salvers,  and  small  and  large 
dishes  —  never  for  a  display  of  the  teaspoons  and 
forks,  the  soup  ladles,  nor  what  is  generally  known 
as  "small  silver."  These  belong  in  the  drawer 
of  the  sideboard  or  in  a  safe. 

Glass  should  be  kept  under  cover  and  not  ex- 
posed to  the  dust ;  an  exception  is  made  only  in  the 
way  of  decanters  or  wine-bottles.  Sometimes,  when 
the  woman  of  the  house  has  inherited  a  collection 

184 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  fine  old  glass,  crystal  bottles,  and  covered  dishes, 
she  fills  a  sideboard  with  these.  No  silver  is  then 
displayed  among  them.  t  The  beauty  of  a  unique 
collection  justifies  her  departure  from  a  general 
custom. 

When  a  woman  has  no  good  silver,  nothing  but 
half-worn-out  and  over-decorated  ugly  plated  ware, 
which  she  cannot  keep  bright,  and  when  she  has 
no  fine  crystal,  it  is  better  to  arrange  her  sideboard 
simply,  and  without  the  plated  silver  pieces.  She 
can  use  her  candlesticks  only,  or,  if  she  has  some 
really  interesting  pieces  of  china,  a  good  blue  and 
white  teapot,  or  one  of  Spode  or  old  Worcester,  the 
sideboard  may  be  set  with  these,  but  never  with  the 
ordinary  china  of  commerce.  If  she  has  only  that, 
let  her  make  up  for  her  deficiencies  with  a  vase  of 
flowers,  a  fruit-dish  prettily  arranged,  and  the  can- 
dlesticks. Care  must  be  taken  to  keep  things  simple. 

We  have  reverted  to  the  saltcellar  of  our  ances- 
tors. Bottles  with  perforated  tops  are  not  permissible 
except  in  boarding-houses,  where  sometimes  one  is 
not  altogether  sure  of  the  training  of  a  neighbor, 
and  where  a  question  of  time  or  the  care  of  the  table 
has  also  to  be  taken  into  consideration.  Such 
bottles  should  never  be  permitted  on  a  sideboard, 
though  saltcellars  belong  there. 

Casters  are  never  used  in  these  days.  When 
one  wants  an  extra  seasoning,  the  oil  and  vinegar 
cruets  are  passed,  though  never  of  course  at  a 
dinner-party.  Casters,  if  they  are  possessed  at  all, 
are  kept  hidden. 

185 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

A  claret  bottle  may  stand  on  a  sideboard,  but  a 
beer  bottle  —  never.  When  whiskey  is  permitted, 
it  is  decanted,  sometimes  into  glass  decanters,  often 
into  small  stone  jugs.  Now  and  then  these  jugs  are 
marked  with  the  owner's  name. 

When  the  dining-room  is  large  and  the  amount 
of  silver  too  great  for  one  sideboard,  a  second  and 
smaller  one  appears,  —  never  its  duplicate,  and  often, 
in  fact,  merely  a  series  of  shelves  over  the  cabinet 
below.  On  this,  other  pieces  of  silver  and  bits  of 
fine  crystal  are  shown.  Sometimes  the  finger-bowls 
are  placed  upon  one  of  these  shelves,  just  before 
dinner.  They  are  of  course  kept  under  cover  be- 
tween times. 

It  is  by  no  means  unusual  to  see  a  well-polished 
sideboard  uncovered,  the  silver  standing  on  the 
mahogany  board,  though  a  heavy  linen  scarf  is 
always  in  order.  Small  doilies  under  different 
pieces  produce  an  unpleasant  impression,  as  of  spots 
scattered  over  a  dark  surface.  The  linen  cover  may 
exactly  fit  the  top.  But  these  covers  will  be  dis- 
cussed under  table-linen. 


186 


"A    CLARET    BOTTLE    MAY    STAND    ON    A    SIDEBOARD,   BUT    A    BEER 
BOTTLE NEVER  " 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


:eis   on. 
e'tfhef  Vide  of  J«J  door 

•       4fc~.      O  »— 

mine    ale 


CHAPTER   XIII 

PARLORS 

O  one,  however  humble, 
is  without  some  position 
^  in  the  world,  entailing  re- 
lations with  friends  and 
neighbors,  and  duties  of  a 
social  character.  The  wife 
of  a  parson  has  one  kind 
of  duty  to  perform,  the 
wife  of  a  statesman  another, 
the  spinster  a  third.  Each 
must  determine  how  the 
duties  of  her  station  are  to 
be  fulfilled,  and  whether 
the  part  of  the  house  in  which  they  are  performed 
shall  stand  for  cheerfulness,  for  welcome,  for  repose, 
or  mere  formality. 

Unless  we  determine  these  things  for  ourselves, 
our  parlors  must  forever  remain  failures.  Without 
a  guiding  principle  all  efforts  at  decoration  are  ten- 
tative. If  we  work  with  no  object  in  view,  can  we 
blame  fortune  for  lack  of  objects  accomplished  ? 

By  a  parlor  I  mean  that  room  which,  when  the 
setting  aside  of  a  series  is  not  possible,  is  specially 

187 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

reserved  not  only  for  our  own  recreation,  but  for 
the  reception  of  our  visitors. 

I  use  the  word  advisedly,  even  while  recognizing 
to  what  abuses  it  has  been  subjected,  and  while 
appreciating  the  efforts  which  have  been  made  to 
substitute  another  in  our  common  speech.  For  cer- 


tainly  the  parlor  of  an  every-day  apartment  can 
hardly  be  designated  a  "  drawing-room "  and  cer- 
tainly it  should  be  something  more  than  a  mere 
sitting-room,  if  visitors  are  to  be  received  in  it. 
And,  since  it  must  be  used  for  more  formal  pur- 
poses, it  should  be  characterized  by  a  certain  reserve, 

188 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  absence  of  which  would  be  easily  excusable  in 
a  living-room  pure  and  simple. 

In  town  houses  with  family  living-rooms,  to  be 
sure,  parlors  may  be  referred  to  as  "  drawing-rooms," 
but  the  term  can  hardly  be  applied  to  the  parlors 
of  people  living  in  country  districts  and  small 
towns,  in  army  posts,  in  the  houses  of  clergy- 
men, or  wherever  persons  of  refinement  but  limited 
means  are  to  be  found,  leading  lives  that  for  all 
their  unpretentious  character  still  involve  the  ob- 
servance of  many  social  obligations. 

Consultation  with  a  dictionary  will  justify  the  use 
of  "parlor," — a  word  originally  designating  a  room 
set  apart  from  the  great  hall  for  private  conference, 
and  which  now  means  that  room  in  a  house  re- 
served for  formal  and  sometimes  public  uses.  The 
word  is  found  in  Chaucer. 

"  —  two  other  ladys  sete  and  she, 
Within  a  paved  parlour." 

"  Into  a  parlour  by"  reads  an  old  English  ballad. 
Shakespeare  uses  the  word ;  and  Izaak  Walton : 
—  "Walk  into  the  parlour,  you  will  find  one  book 
or  other,  in  the  window,  to  entertain  you  the  while." 

Parlors  are  like  manners.  The  "  best  parlors," 
so  long  decried  of  New  England,  were  like  the 
Sunday  outfit  of  work-a-day  people,  or  like  the 
court  dresses  which  the  celebrated  laundress  wore 
when  Napoleon  made  her  a  lady  of  his  court. 
Who  will  ever  forget  Rejane  as  she  played  the 
role  ?  How  awkward  and  ill  at  ease  she  was  in  her 

189 


HOMES  AND   THEIR   DECORATION 


new  clothes,  not  knowing  how  to  wear  her  petti- 
coats, tumbling  over  her  train  to  the  intense  amuse- 
ment of  the  other  court-ladies  who  managed  theirs 
as  easily  as  birds  of  gay  plumage  manage  their 
wings.  A  genial,  sunny-tempered  woman  until 
that  moment,  the  necessity  of 
donning  an  apparel  to  which 
she  was  unaccustomed  inspired 
in  her  a  degree  of  awkward  self- 
consciousness  that  destroyed  all 
her  charm. 

I  always  think  of  her  when 
the  question  of  some  parlors 
arises.  They  are  so  apt  to  look 
as  though  their  owners  were  not 
accustomed  to  them,  as  if  they 
bore  no  more  relation  to  the 
daily  lives  of  their  owners  than 
clothes  worn  on  state  occasions. 
It  is  just  because  in  many  in- 
stances parlors  are  only  used  on 
state  occasions  that  most  of 
them  create  this  impression  of 
awkwardness.  They  are  fur- 
nished with  uniform  pieces  and 
adorned  with  ornaments  of  a  regulation  size,  and 
there  they  end.  Like  Rejane's  court  dresses,  the 
necessity  for  using  them  now  and  then  destroys  all 
the  ease  and  the  charm  which  their  owners  on  other 
occasions  might  have  possessed. 

I   have  seen  prosperous  people  bother  as  much 
190 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

about  their  parlors  as  impecunious  bread-winners 
obliged  to  content  themselves  with  cheese  and 
denim.  My  sympathies  go  out  to  them.  I  know 
so  well  what  the  difficulties  will  mean  in  the  way  of 
struggle  and  disappointment  so  long  as  we  go  on 
missing  the  vital  point,  of  "  the  one  book  or  other 
...  to  entertain  you  the  while."  Everywhere 
else  in  a  home  the  question  of  material  necessities, 
of  pure  utility,  may  rule.  The  parlor  must  express 
something  more ;  prove  our  knowledge  of  the  con- 
veniences, our  possession  of  individual  tastes,  our 
intellectual  sympathies;  our  breeding,  our  place  in 
the  world ;  our  general  measure  of  man  or  woman. 
In  a  parlor  we  must  show  evidence  of  what  we  con- 
sider beautiful,  what  we  find  useful  and  refreshing  ; 
what  we  deem  worthy  of  offering  our  friends  and 
our  family  in  "hours  of  ease"  —  in  short,  like 
laughter,  our  parlors  betray  the  degree  of  cultiva- 
tion we  have  attained.  There 's  the  rub. 

I  remember,  some  years  ago,  finding  myself  in  a 
small  country  house  that  belonged  to  quiet,  old- 
fashioned  people  whose  son  had  been  educated  for 
the  army,  and  who  was  then  an  officer  in  it.  The 
younger  daughter  had  been  away  on  a  visit  to  him, 
and  had  come  home  with  some  ideas  of  making  her 
parlor  like  those  she  had  seen  on  her  journey.  The 
rest  of  the  family  had  been  contented,  until  then, 
with  whitewashed  parlor  walls  and  one  or  two  com- 
fortable chairs.  She,  poor  child,  brought  back  with 
her  a  single  Japanese  fan  and  a  solitary  piece  of  ugly 
Turkish  embroidery  (the  craze  for  them  had  just 

191 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

begun),  and  these  she  tacked  together,  directly  in 
the  middle  of  the  whitewashed  board  that  enclosed 
the  open  fireplace.  The  result  was  infinitely  pa- 
thetic. With  woods  and  streams  all  about  her,  she 
might  so  easily  have  made  the  room  beautiful  with 
ferns,  filling  ordinary  brown  stone  jugs  and  pitchers 
with  laurel  ;  opening  her  fireplace  for  logs  which 
would  have  cost  her  nothing. 

Yet  I  know  another  whitewashed  room  in  a  country 
place  designed  by  young  artists  who  could  not  afford 
paper — the  most  restful,  the  most  delightful,  and 
certainly  the  most  refreshing  room  on  a  warm  sum- 
mer day  to  be  found  anywhere  along  our  coast.  And 
what  had  these  young  girls  done  to  make  it  so  ? 
Nothing  but  to  introduce  flowers  and  greens  every- 
where —  ferns  and  blossoms  in  glass  bowls  on  the 
ample  pine  tables ;  bunches  of  laurel  in  pots  on 
pedestals  in  the  corners ;  branches  of  maple  on  the 
mantel,  green  awnings  at  the  windows,  boxes  of 
flowers  on  the  sills. 

No  one  need  suffer,  therefore,  who  cannot  emu- 
late a  neighbor's  costly  appointments.  The  privi- 
lege of  extravagance  belongs  to  the  few,  but  the 
right  to  refinement  is  a  legacy  to  us  all. 

The  aim  even  of  the  opulent  in  these  days  is  to 
use  inexpensive  wash  materials  in  the  parlors  of  their 
summer  cottages.  I  know  no  instance  in  which 
such  happy  results  have  been  attained  as  in  a  house 
on  the  Maine  coast  rented  by  a  New  Yorker.  When 
she  took  it,  it  was  probably  the  ugliest  cottage  to 
be  found  on  the  island.  This  is  what  she  did  with 

192 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  bare,  long,  and  narrow  parlor,  having  a  fireplace 
at  one  end,  and  a  bay-window  on  the  side  opposite 
a  pair  of  big  ungainly  folding  doors. 

She  painted  the  wood-work  white,  and  covered  the 
walls  with  a  paper  showing  pink  roses  on  a  white 
ground  ;  made  her  curtains  of  white  dotted  muslin 
ruffled  with  lace,  tying  them  at  the  windows,  and 
the  folding  doors  with  big  bows  of  soft  pink  cheese- 
cloth, matching  in  color  the  roses  on  the  paper. 
She  painted  the  ugly  furniture  white,  covering  the 
chairs  and  sofas  with  a  white  cotton  material  show- 
ing a  tiny  stripe.  The  only  silk  permitted  in  the 
room  was  in  the  linings  of  the  lamp-shades  and 
on  the  cushions  everywhere  distributed  —  she  is  a 
woman  who  understands  the  art  of  cushions,  the 
value  of  those  civilizing  touches  which  soft  down 
sofa  pillows  lend  the  barest  room. 

Any  one  else  might  have  a  flowered  paper  and 
soft  pink  cheesecloth  bows,  but  lacking  her  tact  in 
the  arrangement  of  her  furniture,  they  would  have 
missed  her  results.  Few  people  understand  even 
what  this  tact  is,  which  is  one  reason  why  a  draw- 
ing-room filled  with  newly  arrived  guests  waiting  to 
have  dinner  announced  so  often  takes  on  an  awk- 
ward air.  People  are  bunched  or  crowded  together 
in  most  houses,  and  suggest  the  fact  of  their  having 
to  wait,  and  not  of  their  having  come  together  at 
that  moment  to  talk.  No  one  who  enters  a  room 
should  have  to  peer  about  for  a  seat,  or  to  find  him- 
self awkwardly  placed  when  he  ventures  into  a  chair. 
And  because  this  woman  does  understand,  none  of 
13'  193 


HOMES  AND   THEIR   DECORATION 


her  sofas  and  chairs  are  arranged  as  for  a  lecture,  or 
so  that  every  one  in  a  room  must  face  every  one 
else.  Conversation,  as  she  realizes,  does  not  con- 
sist in  haranguing  assemblages,  though  some  people 
seem  to  think  so.  You  may  want  to  see  the  face  of 
your  opposite  neighbor  at  din- 
ner, but  want  to  escape  it  in 
the  parlor.  She  knows  that 
too  !  Guests  who  enter  her 
parlor  form  themselves  into 
groups  of  twos,  threes,  or 
fours,  as  the  case  may  be,  or 
they  are  led  unconsciously  to 
certain  parts  of  the  room 
where  chairs  and  sofas  are 
grouped  to  receive  them. 

In  her  summer-house  par- 
lor, then,  and  directly  in 
front  of  her  fire,  which  must 
often  in  that  climate  be 
lighted  on  August  days,  a 
small  sofa  for  two  is  placed 
with  a  chair  for  a  third  per- 
son drawn  up  at  right  angles 
to  it.  Back  of  this  sofa,  close  against  it,  is  a  large 
oblong  table  with  a  high  crystal  lamp,  and  white 
shade  of  cut  cardboard.  Small  sofas  are  scattered 
about  the  room,  one  against  the  wall  at  right  angles 
to  the  chimney ;  others  on  either  side  of  the  folding 
doors,  and  one  back  of  the  large  centre-table.  The 
bay-window  holds  the  writing-table  with  its  ap- 

194 


pointments  in  silver.  The  piano,  the  only  dark  object 
in  the  room,  is  in  the  very  farthest  corner,  its  keys 
to  the  wall.  Its  back  is  hung  with  white  ;  against 
it  stands  a  table  with  photographs  and  silver  frames. 
Flowers  in  tall  vases  are  everywhere. 

Each  one  of  the  sofas  or  tables  has  some  lamp 
and  chair  arranged  with  reference  to  it.  Half  a 
dozen  groups  of  people  may  talk  in  this  room  with- 
out being  disturbed  by  each  other. 

When  a  parlor  is  not  in  daily  use,  its  mistress 
may  be  roused  some  day  by  a  shock,  discovering 
herself  surrounded  by  guests  difficult  to  entertain, 
sitting  about  her  room  in  awkward  isolation.  If  she 
would  spare  herself  a  second  discomfiture,  she  should 
on  the  instant  of  their  departure  begin  to  rearrange 
her  room,  making  a  careful  study  of  possible  situa- 
tions, conditions,  and  emergencies.  Her  wisest 
course  would  be  to  stand  at  her  own  parlor  door 
and  fancy  herself  a  visitor  just  arriving.  Would 
she  want  to  go  boldly  forward  and  take  a  solitary 
chair  in  the  middle  of  a  big  and  half-empty  room  ? 
Would  she  not  prefer  one  into  which  she  could  slip 
just  by  the  door,  especially  if  she  were  a  stranger? 
Would  she  want  to  discover  such  a  chair,  even 
when  near  the  door,  placed  by  a  lady's  desk,  a  note 
or  two  perhaps  open  before  her  ?  Would  she  again 
want  to  establish  herself  among  the  cushions  of  a 
divan  as  the  only  available  sitting-place,  or  in  a  very 
low  and  softly  cushioned  chair  out  of  which,  were 
she  portly,  she  would  have  to  go  through  gymnas- 
tics to  rise  ?  Or,  once  again,  would  she  like  to 

T95 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

seat  herself  facing  the  glare  of  a  window,  or  the 
monotony  of  an  ugly  blank  wall,  or  a  mirror  that 
reflected  a  pantry  door,  —  not  a  pleasant  picture  ? 
And  would  she  not,  were  she  a  guest  in  the  house, 
like  a  lamp  by  which  to  read,  and  a  cushion  for 
her  back,  and  a  table  on  which  her  book  could  be 
laid?  And  last,  because  most  important,  how 
shall  the  guest  be  provided  for,  be  welcomed,  with- 
out being  admitted  to  all  the  family  intimacies  ? 

She  should  ask  herself  every  one  of  these  ques- 
tions and  a  dozen  more  if  her  imagination  be  fer- 
tile. She  should  ask  herself  how  she  would  like 
certain  things  were  she  a  guest  in  other  houses,  and 
what  she  could  be  to  better  the  condition  of  vis- 
itors in  hers.  Indeed,  I  sometimes  believe  that 
the  proper  furnishing  of  a  parlor  means  nothing 
less  than  a  question  of  ethical  values  or  a  problem 
in  psychology. 

In  any  successful  room,  the  interests  must  be 
concentrated,  not  scattered.  The  same  rule  holds 
good  in  art.  But  it  must  be  remembered  that  this 
concentration  of  interest  by  no  means  implies  the 
necessity  of  what  is  known  in  every-day  parlance 
as  "a  cosey  corner."  I  wonder  who  invented  the 
term,  and  why  it  should  have  spread  like  a  pesti- 
lence over  the  land,  dragging  with  it  a  host  of  ills, 
filling  parlors  with  right-angle  triangle  lounges  piled 
with  cushions  and  draped  with  fish-nets  over  spears, 
or  Turkish  hangings  suspended  from  impossible 
baldequins.  A  room  may  be  made  cosey :  it  im- 
plies a  meagre  purpose  to  make  only  one  corner  so. 

196 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


By  centring  interest  around  a  fireside,  drawing  up 
chairs,  tables,  and  sofas,  so  that  people  may  find 
themselves  placed  comfortably  before  it ;  by  setting 
aside  certain  other  parts  of  the  room  for  reading, 
writing,  sewing,  or  music,  is  to  fill  it  with  cosey 
places.  The  secret  of  knowing  how  to  do  this  is 
the  secret  of  making  a  successful  parlor.  It  can  only 
be  done  with  a  thought  back  of  every  move  —  that 
of  making  spe- 
cial pursuits  or 
forms  of  relaxa- 
tion easy,  or  of 
insuring  repose, 
seclusion,  or 
comfort,  for  va- 
rious moods.  It 
can  never  be 
done  when  the 
object  alone  has 
been  to  produce 
a  "  cosey  cor- 
ner," while  the 
rest  of  the  room 
is  left  bare  and  uninviting.  Even  when  the  heart  is 
set  upon  the  divan  with  a  fish-net  or  a  hanging  over 
it,  like  that  of  a  neighbor,  the  corner  in  which  the 
right-angle  triangle  lounge  is  found,  must  not  be 
out  of  key  with  the  rest  of  the  room,  and  never  by 
any  possibility  designated  or  treated  as  the  one 
"cosey  corner"  in  the  room. 

In   conventional    brick    or   brown-stone    houses, 
197 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

found  everywhere  throughout  our  country,  houses 
put  up  in  rows  with  front  stoops  and  narrow  halls, 
we  find  the  parlor  of  all  others  most  difficult  to 
treat.  At  one  time  in  our  history,  even  among  the 
very  rich,  one  method  alone  was  followed.  Between 
the  tall  windows  of  the  front  parlor  there  was  always 
a  pier  glass  in  a  heavy  gilt  frame,  a  marble  slab 
below  it ;  over  the  marble  mantel  there  was  another 
mirror  in  a  still  heavier  gilt  frame  —  an  oval  or  a 
round  mirror,  this  one  hung  so  high  nobody  could 
see  in  it.  Then  there  were  lace  curtains  falling 
straight.  A  sofa  flat  against  one  wall  faced  a  piano 
plump  against  another.  Sometimes  there  was  a 
marble-topped  centre-table.  This  arrangement  was 
almost  universal,  even  when  the  furniture  was  cov- 
ered with  a  costly  textile,  a  velvet  or  a  satin  brocade, 
and  even  when  expensive  family  portraits  were  hung 
on  the  walls,  or  the  tables  were  set  with  pieces  of 
porcelain,  books,  albums,  or  Japanese  bronzes. 

After  this,  came  the  introduction  of  the  tea-table, 
with  a  kettle  and  china  cups  and  saucers  to  catch 
the  dust.  We  have  learned  now  that  tea,  when 
served  in  the  parlor,  must  be  brought  in  on  a  tray 
and  placed  in  front  of  the  hostess  on  a  small  table, 
which  has  been  kept  hidden  somewhere  in  the  cor- 
ner of  the  room,  and  which  disappears  again  when 
tea  is  over  and  the  tray  and  the  steaming  kettle  are 
carried  away.  But  there  are  still  people  who  never 
seem  able  to  part  from  the  old  set  method  of  arrang- 
ing their  furniture,  and  who  understand  nothing  about 
the  necessity  of  breaking  up  the  lines  in  a  room. 

198 


THE    WALL    SPACE    RUNNING    FROM    THE   WINDOW 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


Window 


The  very  configuration  of  one  of  these  long, 
narrow  rooms  is  awkward  —  two  windows  at  one  end 
of  the  room,  facing  folding  doors  at  the  other,  and 
the  fireplace  directly  opposite  the  door  into  the 
hall.  The  general  habit  now  is,  to  move  the  door 
farther  down  the  hall,  so  as  to  give  greater  privacy 
about  the  fireplace.  When  this  is  done,  that  part 
of  the  hall  under  the 
staircase  is  furnished 
with  a  seat,  a  large  mir- 
ror, and  a  tree  for  the 
coats  and  hats  of  visitors. 
Nothing  but  the  chair  and 
the  table  for  cards  then 
appears  by  the  front  en- 
trance. But  even  when 
this  change  of  parlor  doors 
is  not  possible  and  the 
opening  must  face  the 
fireplace,  the  subject  is 
not  hopeless. 

The  awkwardness  of 
the  general  plan  was  quite 
forgotten  in  one  parlor  I 
know.  The  walls  were 
lined  with  bookcases  six  feet  high.  Above  these 
were  pictures.  The  grand  piano,  covered  by  a  piece 
of  rich  embroidery  thrown  over  the  end,  and  holding 
a  tall  vase  with  flowers,  came  between  the  fireplace 
and  the  folding  doors,  its  keys  toward  the  dining- 
room.  At  the  foot  of  the  piano  a  small  sofa  stood 

199 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


at  right  angles  with  the  fireplace,  the  piano  forming 
its  background.  On  the  other  side  of  the  fireplace 
was  a  desk,  drawn  out  from  the  bookcase ;  between 
the  windows  and  door  into  the  hall  there  was  a 
carved  mahogany  sofa ;  opposite  the  piano  a 
mahogany  table  with  books.  By  all  these  tables 
were  big  chairs  easily  wheeled  about, 
so  that  they  could  be  drawn  together 
or  up  by  the  sofa  whenever  two  or 
more  people  wanted  to  talk  together. 
And  everybody  did  want  to  talk  in  that 
delightful  old  parlor  once  belonging  to 
a  man  of  letters,  who  gathered  about 
him  many  a  famous  company. 

In  another  parlor  exactly  like  this,  — 
and  all  these  parlors  are  exactly  alike, 
more  is  the  pity,  —  there  is  a  long 
carved  sofa  placed  flat  against  the  wall 
between  the  door  from  the  hall  and  the 
front  window.  This  is  a  conventional 
arrangement  relieved  by  a  happy 
inspiration.  At  the  end  of  the 
sofa  by  the  hall  door  a  tall  vase 
filled  with  long-stemmed  roses 
stands  on  the  floor,  a  table  by  it 
with  a  lamp,  and  behind  the 
table,  concealing  it  from  the  door,  a  low  carved 
screen  with  an  inlay  of  glass.  At  right  angles  to 
the  sofa,  with  its  back  to  the  screen,  is  a  Chippen- 
dale arm-chair.  This  makes  it  possible,  then,  for 
two  people  on  the  sofa  to  talk  to  one  on  the  chair, 

200 


THE    WALL    SPACE    RUNNING    FROM    THE    WINDOW 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

who  at  the  same  time  has  been  put  to  no  trouble 
for  a  seat,  nor  found  himself  forced  to  seat  himself 
directly  opposite  the  people  on  the  sofa.  In  the 
window  at  the  other  end  of  the  sofa  is  another  chair 
which  can  also  be  drawn  up.  Between  the  windows 
is  a  fine  old  desk ;  opposite  the  sofa,  a  tall  piece  of 
mahogany  with  books  behind  glass  doors.  Between 
it  and  the  mantel,  and  at  right  angles  to  the  fire,  is 
a  small  sofa  for  two,  with  a  chair  by  it,  a  table  and 
a  lamp.  The  other  end  of  the  room  has  low  book- 
cases on  either  side,  with  more  tables  and  sofas  and 
chairs. 

The  happiest  arrangement  of  one  of  these  rooms, 
when  smaller,  was  accomplished  with  the  aid  of  a 
carpenter,  who  filled  one  of  the  windows  with  a  low 
shelf  to  form  a  seat,  and  running  it  in  an  unbroken 
line  down  the  wall  from  that  window  to  the  door. 
This  seat  was  covered  with  a  velours  of  a  low  tone. 
On  the  opposite  wall,  between  the  other  window 
and  the  fireplace,  the  space  was  filled  with  a  low 
bookcase,  divided  half-way  its  length  by  a  seat 
large  enough  to  hold  two  persons.  This  seat  was 
also  formed  by  a  pine  shelf.  Like  that  on  the 
opposite  wall,  it  was  covered  with  velours,  which 
ran  from  the  floor,  over  the  seat,  and  up  the  wall 
to  a  level  with  the  top  shelf  of  the  bookcase,  where 
it  was  finished  with  a  flat  gimp  nailed  with  invisible 
tacks.  At  right  angles  to  the  fireplace  and  facing 
windows  was  a  small  sofa  with  a  tall  lamp  at  one 
end.  Back  of  the  sofa  by  a  bay  window  (this 
house  was  on  a  corner)  there  was  a  desk.  The 

2OI 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

opposite  corner,  a  bookcase,  following  the  right 
angle  of  the  wall ;  in  front  of  it  a  carved  table  with 
lamps,  flowers,  and  books.  Three  or  four  chairs 
to  be  drawn  about,  completed  the  appointments. 
The  walls  of  the  room  had  been  treated  with  bur- 
laps washed  with  gold.  The  wood-work  was  buff. 
The  splitting  of  a  line  of  book-shelves  with  a 
seat  will  always  be  found  advisable  when  space  is 
required,  especially  in  the  little  front  rooms  of 
English-basement  houses,  or  in  the  hall  rooms  of 
dwelling-houses  made  over  into  apartments,  or  in 
conventional  parlors  like  those  described,  which  are 
often  but  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  wide.  The  win- 
dow —  for  when  such  a  parlor  is  small  there  is  never 
but  the  one  window  —  the  window  then  is  left 
without  masses  of  drapery,  but  is  filled  with  rubber 
trees,  palms,  and  Boston  ferns.  I  saw  this  once,  and 
I  have  never  forgotten  the  room.  In  front  of  the 
window,  which  was  opposite  the  door  leading  to  the 
hall,  ran  a  small  high-backed  sofa  of  good  design, 
only  large  enough  to  hold  two.  Behind  the  sofa  there 
was  space  for  the  maid  to  get  at  the  plants  and  the 
window-shades.  To  the  left  of  the  sofa  a  row  of 
book-shelves  were  built,  divided  to  make  a  small 
seat,  the  wall  forming  its  back.  This  enabled  three 
persons  to  talk  comfortably  together,  while  a  fourth 
could  be  seated  in  a  large  chair  by  the  door  leading 
into  an  adjoining  room.  The  rest  of  the  little 
parlor  was  filled  with  books  and  pictures,  one  big 
cathedral  chair  at  the  other  end  flat  against  the 
wall,  beside  a  table  holding  a  lamp.  The  walls 

202 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

were  green,  the  wood-work  white,  the  chairs  cov- 
ered with  soft  silks  and  old  tapestries. 

While  the  breaking  up  of  lines  in  a  room  should 
always  be  made  an  object  of  special  study,  a  small 
interior  must  always  have  its  important  or  essential 
pieces  arranged  with  all  the  compactness  possible. 
A  foolish  sacrifice  of  space  is  made  when  a  small 
room  is  filled  with  large  pieces  of  furniture,  espe- 
cially with  lounging-chairs  standing  out  from  the 
wall,  or  with  sofas  having  projecting  backs.  The 
furniture  chosen  or  made  for  small  parlors  should 
fit  against  the  walls,  the  lines  of  the  room  being 
broken  up  afterwards  by  tables  or  chairs.  This 
may  be  more  clearly  understood,  perhaps,  after  ex- 
amining one  of  the  illustrations  accompanying  this 
chapter. 

This  room  just  off  the  parlor  is  used  as  a  study 
by  its  owner,  and  considered  with  it  in  choice  of 
color.  It  is  only  seven  feet  by  eight.  Many  an  old- 
fashioned  bed  was  larger.  Yet  the  study  has  a  long 
divan  (made  narrow  enough  to  serve  as  a  sofa,  and 
with  a  box  underneath  for  dresses),  a  large  desk,  a 
chair,  a  folding  table,  a  dozen  pictures,  and  several 
hundred  books  on  shelves  at  the  head  and  foot  of  the 
divan,  and  again  under  the  mirror  at  the  side  of  the 
door.  The  room  is  in  greens  and  yellows.  A  green 
burlaps  covers  the  wall,  green  corduroy  the  divans. 
The  curtain  over  the  door  opening  into  a  closet 
filled  with  books  and  papers,  is  of  green  silk  em- 
broidered with  dull  yellow.  A  yellow  leaded  glass 
fills  the  window.  The  ceiling  has  a  dull  yellow 

203 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

paper.  The  lines  are  broken  by  plants  and  by 
hanging-lamps  suspended  overhead. 

Enough  has  been  said,  perhaps,  to  prove  that  in 
spite  of  like  proportions  and  construction  no  one 
room  need  look  like  another ;  but  to  emphasize  the 
fact  more  strongly,  two  illustrations  have  been  in- 
troduced, giving  different  views  of  two  parlors  in 
an  apartment-house,  alike  in  size  except  as  regards 
the  height  of  the  ceiling. 

One  parlor  has  been  treated  in  greens  and  whites. 
The  walls  are  covered  with  the  green  cartridge 
paper  ;  the  wood-work,  ceiling,  and  thin  curtains 
are  white ;  the  over-curtains  are  green  looped  over 
big  gilt  disks.  Yellows  are  introduced  in  brass 
sconces,  hanging  candelabra,  picture  frames,  and- 
irons, and  firearms. 

In  the  other  parlor,  greens  and  yellows  alone  are 
permitted,  except  on  the  divan,  where  the  cover 
takes  up  the  colors  of  a  Cashmere  rug.  The  wood- 
work is  green.  The  walls  are  covered  with  green 
burlaps,  the  curtains  and  furniture  are  of  green 
corduroy.  Thin  yellow  Verona  silk  curtains  hang 
over  the  white  muslin  on  the  panes.  The  yellow 
of  these  curtains  is  repeated  everywhere,  —  in  brass 
milk-cans,  hanging-lamps,  andirons,  and  bird  cages. 
Both  parlors,  then,  have  been  furnished  in  green 
and  brass,  and  yet  they  bear  not  the  slightest  re- 
semblance to  each  other. 

The  wall-space  running  from  the  window,  filled 
in  one  instance  by  a  carved  mahogany  sofa  and  in 
another  by  a  bookcase  and  divan,  might  have  been 

204 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

treated  in  still  other  ways.  A  piano  might  have 
been  placed  there,  or  book-shelves  running  up  to 
the  ceiling.  Again,  low  shelves  might  have  been 
divided  by  one  of  the  seats  to  which  reference  has 
already  been  made. 

In  regard  to  the  brass  Holland  milk-can  on  the  par- 
lor table, —  a  table,  by  the  way,  once  in  the  boudoir 


UfcusincJ  Ion.  At 
"Trowx  a. 
feble       -l&e  IS1*-  CenTu 


ry  . 

of  Marie  Antoinette,  —  there  is  nothing  to  be  urged 
in  defence  except  the  plea  of  its  color.  It  might 
be  argued  in  fact,  that  every  law  of  propriety  had 
been  violated,  and  that  under  no  conditions  should 
a  milk-can  once  belonging  to  a  peasant,  and  a  table 
once  belonging  to  the  Queen  of  a  different  country, 

205 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

indeed  that  a  milk-can  at  all,  should  appear  together 
in  a  parlor.  But  the  informalities  of  this  one  justify 
the  combination,  and  the  color  of  the  can  itself,  and 
the  colors  it  repeats,  now  from  this  object  now  from 
that,  are  beautiful.  When  a  white  rose  with  green 
leaves  is  placed  on  the  table  by  it,  the  reflections, 
broken  by  the  dented,  uneven  surface  of  the  brass, 
are  irresistible.  When  a  mass  of  Easter  lilies  or 
chrysanthemums  is  thrust  into  it,  or  a  pot  of  ivy 
fills  the  can  and  falls  about  the  sides,  it  is  no  longer 
a  milk-can,  but  a  receptacle  for  flowers.  The  Marie 
Antoinette  table,  being  covered  with  a  black  Egyp- 
tian marble,  cannot  be  spoiled  by  drops  of  water  from 
the  flowers. 

Every  nation  has  its  ideal,  its  standard  of  true 
excellence,  its  great  desideratum.  When  you  look 
from  the  street  into  the  windows  of  a  certain  class 
of  Cuban  houses,  you  see  a  room  bare  of  hangings, 
with  now  and  then  chromos  and  colored  lamps,  but 
always  the  long  narrow  rug  in  the  middle  of  a  floor, 
and  a  dozen  or  more  rocking-chairs  drawn  up  about 
it,  facing  each  other.  In  the  sitting-rooms  of  French 
peasants  in  a  certain  district  there  is  invariably  the 
bed  with  its  feathered  mattress  laid  smooth  and 
three  chairs  placed  formally  against  it,  —  chairs  that 
no  one  dreams  of  occupying  except  perhaps  an 
occasional  cat.  Round  the  chimneypiece  there  are 
benches  and  seats  for  the  guests. 

With  us  the  standard  of  excellence  varies  from 
time  to  time,  otherwise  we  might  have  been  hope- 
lessly committed  to  many  a  hideous  fashion  —  stuffed 

206 


birds  under  glass ;  framed  samplers  or  mottoes  on 
the  wall ;  family  Bibles  on  marble-topped  tables ; 
worsted  mats  under  lamps  ;  daguerrotypes  on  the 
mantel ;  pink  and  white  coral  in  the  cabinets ;  rock- 
ing-chairs tied  with  bows  of  ribbon ;  rocking-chairs 
in  parlors  at  all. 

Yes,  it  is  certainly  better  to  live  where  fashions 
change  now  and  then,  especially  in  parlors,  which 
brings  me  again  to  a  point  I  have  often  urged ;  when 
a  parlor  is  to  be  arranged,  the  foundations  only 
should  be  at  first  laid.  Then  is  there  a  chance  to 
grow,  —  the  possibility  of  making  a  better  choice  of 
objects  as  tastes  develop ;  of  buying  separate  and 
interesting  pieces  of  mahogany,  good  pictures,  good 
books ;  of  building  up  the  room,  in  fact.  If  this 
last  rule  of  going  slowly  is  followed,  no  one  will 
commit  the  folly  of  a  "parlor  suit."  The  very 
name  carries  a  disagreeable  suggestion,  to  persons 
who  have  lived  in  large  towns  and  seen  these  "  suits  " 
set  out  on  the  pavement  for  sale.  Furniture  may 
match,  but  a  "  suit "  is  something  to  be  shunned. 

"  What  kind  of  a  parlor  suit  is  coming  in  now  ? " 
is  a  question  asked  again  and  again  by  the  inexperi- 
enced wanting  to  do  the  proper  thing,  as  if  the 
question  were  to  be  answered  as  easily  as  one  relat- 
ing to  clothes.  A  dress  has  more  or  less  of  an 
ephemeral  value.  It  is  in  fashion  this  year  and  out 
of  it  the  next.  One's  household  furniture  can  never 
be  regarded  in  this  way.  The  moment  too  epheme- 
ral a  character  is  given  to  it,  that  moment  all  sense 
of  the  abiding  is  destroyed  in  a  house.  At  the  same 

207 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

time  one  is  quite  right  in  wanting  to  know  what  new 
and  pretty  things  are  being  put  out  on  the  market, 
for  the  manufacturers  are  constantly  changing  their 
patterns  and  their  styles,  sometimes  in  obedience 
to  an  example  like  that  set  long  ago  by  Mr. 
William  Morris,  and  sometimes  because  of  those 
furnished  by  artists  who  have  educated  us  to  know 
what  is  beautiful,  and  have  given  us  their  reasons 
for  pronouncing  bad  certain  departures  from  the 
beautiful. 

Furniture  made  by  a  lover  of  good  lines  and  fine 
workmanship  must  be  better  than  that  which  is 
turned  out  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  persons  whose 
greatest  desire  is  something  to  show  for  their  money. 
I  say  this  because  only  the  other  day  I  went  through 
a  large  factory  where  chairs  and  sofas  of  every  de- 
scription were  being  made,  —  so  ugly  that  I  wanted 
to  get  out  of  the  place,  and  so  costly  that  even  had 
I  wanted  to  buy,  I  should  have  had  to  turn  away  in 
despair. 

When  I  asked  why  these  articles  were  so  hideous 
and  why  it  was  not  as  easy  to  make  a  beautiful  thing, 
I  was  told  that  many  persons  living  out  of  town 
would  buy  nothing  else.  Therefore,  if  a  question 
about  what  new  suits  were  in  fashion  had  to  be 
answered,  I  could  only  reply,  "  Some  very  ugly 
ones."  And  if  another  common  question  were 
given  me  to  answer,  and  I  should  be  asked  to  de- 
clare in  favor  of  furniture  "  entirely  covered  with 
upholstery  "  as  opposed  to  that  "  showing  wooden 
frames,"  I  could  not  do  it. 

208 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  only  wise  course  for  the  searcher  after  ex- 
cellence is  to  study  good  pictures  and  models  of 
mahogany.  We  excel  in  this  country  in  what  is 
now  called  the  Colonial  furniture,  and  good  imita- 
tions of  these,  when  the  genuine  is  not  possible,  is 
the  safest  investment.  No  one,  on  the  other  hand, 
should  be  persuaded  to  buy  an  imitation  inlaid  ma- 
hogany chair,  covered  with  a  brocade,  and  cheap  at 
five  dollars.  It  would  introduce  a  false  note  into 
any  parlor. 


209 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


D 


CHAPTER   XIV 


DRAWING-ROOMS 

RAWING-ROOMS,  it  must 
again  be  urged,  are  impossible 
except  in  houses  where  some 
other  room  has  been  provided 
for  the  recreation  of  the  family. 
In  a  high-stoop  town  house  a 
room  on  the  second  floor  is,  as 
we  know,  generally  set  aside  as 
a  living-room  or  library,  the 
front  parlor  then  being  fur- 
nished as  a  drawing-room,  or, 
if  the  tastes  of  a  family  in- 
cline it  to  musicals,  as  a  draw- 
ing-room and  music-room 
combined.  Heavy  dra- 
peries are  avoided.  Little 
or  no  bric-a-brac  is  per- 
mitted. A  quiet  paper, 
oftener  a  striped  or  bro- 
caded silk,  covers  the 
walls.  A  line  of  low 
bookcases  extends  around  the  room,  painted  cream 
or  white  like  the  rest  of  the  wood-work,  and  filled 
only  with  the  best  bound  books.  The  floors  are 


2IO 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

bare  except  for  rugs.  The  furniture  is  French  —  a 
cream-white  wood  sometimes  ornamented  with  gold 
and  upholstered  to  match  the  wall-hangings.  Small 
gilt  chairs  are  permitted  while  the  music  is  going  on 

—  substantial  and  well-modelled  gilt  chairs,  it  goes 
without  saying.     The  presence  of  pictures  on  the 
walls   is  left   to  the  discretion  of  the  householder. 
The  lamp  and  electric  lights  are  shaded  by  silks  of 
soft  cream  tones.     Now  and  then  one  note  of  color 
is  added  by  a  high-backed  gold  chair  covered  with 
red  damask ;  but  there  should  only  be  one  chair  or 

—  many.     Two   red  chairs  in  a  room  of  this  kind 
would  be  disastrous,    suggesting  the  fact  of  there 
being  but  two  and  no  more.     One  chair,  on  the 
other  hand,  would   suggest  the    possibility    of  its 
having  been  chosen  because  of  a  unique  excellence, 
or  as  a  chair  for  a  privileged  or  distinguished  person. 
Of  course  the  entire  room  might  be  furnished  with 
these  chairs,  but  that  would  alter  the  scheme  of  deco- 
ration.    On  ordinary  occasions  the  chair  is  drawn 
up    by    the    fire,    and    the    afternoon    tea-table   is 
brought  there  to  the  lady  of  the  house.     Neither 
the  mantel  nor  the  tops  of  the  bookcases  are  encum- 
bered   with    bric-a-brac,    one   or  two  choice    pieces 
alone  being  permissible,  —  generally  a  glass  or  two 
from  Venice  holding  roses. 

The  wood-work  may  be  painted  a  delicate  gray, 
and  the  walls  covered  with  gray  silk,  a  paper,  or  a 
silvery  gray  burlaps ;  the  furniture  to  be  mahogany, 
oak,  or  French  with  cream-white  wood  and  touches 
of  gilt,  upholstered  with  reference  to  the  textile  on 

211 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


the  wall.  The  walls  may  again  be  finished  with  a 
four-foot  dado  of  green  velours  finished  with  a  gimp 
supporting  a  flowered  paper  with  roses  on  a  white 
ground,  the  color  of  the  velours -repeating  that  of 
the  rose-stems  above.  The  furniture,  of  mahogany, 
would  then  be  covered  with  a  green 
matching  the  dado,  the  hangings 
of  rose  silk  looped  over  brass  rods. 
Mirrors  in  gilt  frames  and  brass 
sconces  might  be  the  only  deco- 
ration. 

Nothing  does  more  for  these 
rooms  than  four  corner  mirrors 
sixteen  inches  wide,  with  bevelled 
edges  and  no  frames.  They  must 
run  from  the  floor  to  the  picture- 
moulding,  which  should  be  at  the 
level  of  the  upper  casing  of  the 
doors  and  windows.  With  their 
reflections  they  serve  two  pur- 
poses :  that  of  bringing  the  room 
together,  while  suggesting  spaces 
beyond.  It  all  depends  upon 
where  you  are  sitting.  The  charm 
of  them  is  that  you  are  never 
forced  to  look  directly  at  yourself,  never  placed  in 
the  embarrassing  position  of  one  seeking  to  avoid 
the  appearance  of  being  bewitched  by  a  study  of 
her  own  features  every  time  an  eyelid  is  raised. 
Their  purpose  is  to  beguile  the  vision,  and  the 
angle  at  which  they  are  placed  does  this,  for  they 


/ 


212 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

must  cut  directly  across  the  corners.  I  saw  them 
first  many  years  ago  in  the  house  of  a  friend  who 
had  seen  them  in  Norway.  Her  drawing-room  was 
long,  narrow,  and  low-ceiled.  The  wood-work  was 
dark,  the  walls  covered  with  a  Japanese  paper  of 
rich  tones.  The  furniture  was  mahogany.  Though 
the  room  was  low  and  had  but  two  front  windows, 
I  was  constantly  charmed  by  an  impression  of  space, 
as  of  rooms  and  stretches  beyond. 

Now  that  mirrors  are  becoming  more  and  more 
fashionable  in  the  decoration  of  houses,  the  need 
of  studying  their  reflections  grows.  The  object  of 
a  mirror  is  not  to  reflect  a  glare,  nor  a  blank 
wall,  nor  some  ugly  defect  beyond,  but  to  bring  a 
pleasant  object  to  you,  and  to  do  so  with  tact  — 
without  making  the  intention  too  obvious.  Mirrors 
in  parlors  are  not  introduced  to  let  you  see  the 
hang  of  a  walking  skirt.  Mirrors  in  dressing-rooms 
or  in  the  "parlors "of  tailors'  establishments  will  do 
that.  The  secret  of  how  "  to  entertain  you  the 
while  "  is  the  principle  that  leads  to  the  successful 
placing  of  them. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  craze  for  things 
Japanese  has  left  the  drawing-rooms,  even  of  high- 
stoop  houses,  unaffected.  Japanese  silks  are  em- 
ployed in  the  hangings  ;  Japanese  straw  papers 
cover  the  walls  ;  gas  and  electric  light  fixtures  are 
made  of  Japanese  bronzes,  or  modelled  after  those 
repeating  the  form  of  some  flower,  generally  the 
lotus  ;  the  pictures  on  the  walls  are  Japanese  only 
—  not  framed  water-color  sketches,  but  Kakemono, 

213 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

pictures  painted  on  strips  of  silk  or  gauze  and 
mounted  on  rollers  ;  the  bric-a-brac  pieces  of  Japa- 
nese porcelain  or  bronzes. 

Of  course,  being  Americans,  these  householders 
who  have  Japanese  parlors  or  drawing-rooms  are 
obliged  to  have  chairs,  so  making  a  departure  from 
the  customs  of  Orientals  who  sit  on  the  floor ;  but 
the  chairs  admitted  are  never  obtrusively  American, 
never  upholstered  and  tufted  and  tasselled.  They 
are  made  of  wood,  dark  and  low  in  tone,  and  some- 
times heavy. 

Here  in  America  we  live  in  an  age  of  building. 
Blocks  of  old  houses  are  being  swept  out  of  exist- 
ence to  make  way  for  new  and  splendid  dwellings. 
Far  and  near,  wherever  we  go,  the  air  is  rent  by 
the  hammers  of  steel-drivers  and  carpenters.  This 
activity,  this  constant  remodelling  of  old  houses 
when  a  construction  of  the  new  is  not  possible,  is 
an  interesting  sign  of  the  times.  The  first  impulse 
of  the  man  of  inflated  fortune  (and  our  country  is 
full  of  them)  is  to  build,  to  change  the  nature  of  his 
former  habitation.  He  may,  in  so  doing,  want  to 
revert  to  the  customs  of  his  grandfather ;  it  is  often 
his  pride.  He  seems  to  have  convinced  himself 
that  the  customs  of  his  fathers  were  not  what  they 
might  have  been.  He  takes  scant  pride  in  their 
preservation,  and  in  this  who  is  there  to  condemn 
him  ?  Why  should  he  want  to  abide  by  a  fashion 
sanctioning  a  front  parlor,  an  unlighted  and  unventi- 
lated  middle  parlor,  and  a  back  drawing-room  with 
two  windows?  Why  should  he  be  blamed  for  doing 

214 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

as  he  does,  —  for  trying  in  every  way  to  attain  to 
something  more  livable  and  more  enjoyable? 

One  of  his  methods  is  to  take  down  all  the  parti- 
tions on  a  parlor  floor  except  that  which  shuts  it  off 
from  the  front  hall  entrance,  and  to  put  up  columns, 
making  one  large  room  full  of  angles.  High  and 
sumptuous  leather  screens  are  then  introduced  to 
shut  one  part  of  the  room  from  the  other,  the  front 
part  being  reserved  for  formal  receptions,  the  middle 
part,  with  its  huge  fireplace  and  its  deep  recess 
(made  by  cutting  off  the  hall),  for  an  after-dinner 
lounging  place ;  and  the  back  part  as  the  dining- 
room.  By  removing  the  screens  the  whole  space 
may  be  thrown  into  one,  and  used  for  music  or 
dancing.  The  library  or  living-room  being  on  the 
floor  above,  the  privacy  of  the  family  is  not  sac- 
rificed to  social  pretences.  Besides  this,  in  a  room 
so  large,  no  one  can  possibly  hear  what  is  said  at 
the  other  end,  or  know  when  the  table  is  being 
laid  for  dinner  behind  the  tall  screens  fifty  feet 
away. 

When  the  building  laws  are  not  broken,  and  the 
depth  of  the  block  is  sufficient,  an  addition  to  the 
house  is  made  by  a  room  in  the  rear,  to  which  access 
is  had  from  the  dining-room  through  a  passage- 
way lined  with  books  and  hung  with  brass  lamps. 
This  room,  used  as  a  studio,  living-room,  or  library, 
adds  enormously  to  the  comfort  of  a  household  and 
to  the  beauty  of  a  house,  especially  when  its  floor- 
level  is  below  that  of  the  main  house,  the  descent 
being  made  by  several  steps.  A  balcony  from  a 

2I5 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

second-story  window  will  open  into  the  room  when 
the  ceilings  are  high,  as  in  the  studios  of  sculptors. 
The  presence  of  an  extra  room  makes  it  possible  to 
use  the  front  parlor  as  a  drawing-room. 

Quite  as  delightful,  when  there  is  sufficient  space 
in  the  rear  of  a  town  house,  is  an  addition  at  the 
back,  which  will  afford  a  dining-room  on  the  first 
floor  and  a  library  above.  Such  an  addition,  how- 
ever, is  only  conventional  and  uninteresting,  unless 
a  wide  passage  is  left  between  the  old  part  of  the 
house  and  the  new,  and  unless  a  special  feature  is 
made  of  the  staircase  which  leads  to  the  floor  above, 
and,  by  a  turn  to  the  bedrooms  in  front,  forms  a 
wide  platform  before  the  library  door.  This  plat- 
form, with  its  railing,  then  becomes  a  most  interest- 
ing feature,  altogether  charming  when  several  figures 
are  introduced  on  it  —  a  young  mother  and  children 
waiting  for  the  guests  to  ascend  from  the  drawing- 
room  floor  to  the  more  informal  story  above. 

The  plan  oftenest  followed  in  these  days,  when 
a  conventional  town  house  is  remodelled  to  give 
a  drawing  and  dining  room  on  the  first  floor,  is  to 
take  away  the  high  stoop,  throwing  the  old  vesti- 
bule into  the  new  drawing-room,  and  making  the 
entrance  either  on  the  street  level,  or,  by  an  ascent 
of  a  few  feet  under  the  old  vestibule,  finishes  the 
steps  in  a  hall  filling  the  middle  part  of  a  house. 
This  hall  then  becomes  large,  and  in  some  cases 
important,  the  drawing-room  in  front,  the  dining- 
room  in  the  rear.  When  these  alterations  have 
been  made,  it  is  customary  to  give  to  the  drawing- 

216 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


room  an  architectural  excellence  not  common  to 
the  old  front  parlors.  The  windows,  chimney, 
and  doors  are  carefully  designed.  The  walls  are 
stuccoed,  or  panelled.  The  inlay  is  generally  of 
silk  or  brocade.  All  the  appointments  are  studded. 
The  fashion  of  the  day  inclines  to  white  or  cream 
paint,  soft  silks  on  the  walls,  with  mahogany  or 
French  furniture.  One  room  will  have  cream  wood- 
work, green  watered  silk  in 
the  panels,  white  or  gold 
chairs  covered  with  silk  or 
brocade.  Another  will  have 
white  walls,  white  wood- 
work, the  furniture  covered 
with  a  striped  brocade. 
There  is  no  rule.  The 
general  tendency,  however, 
is  to  avoid  overcrowding, 
and  to  express  simplicity 
through  the  medium  of  the 
costly  and  the  beautiful. 
Such  a  room  must  not  be 
encumbered  with  too  many 
articles  of  a  minor  interest. 

The    domestic    life    of    a  Aln*»*fc7W. 

family  is  never  suggested,  although  the  spirit  of  its 
mistress  may  yet  be  made  to  prevail  in  a  hundred 
ways.  She  may  still  express  the  hospitable  intent 
even  while  respecting  formality  ;  and  she  can  cer- 
tainly make  you  feel  her  appreciation  of  grace,  of 
sweetness,  and  of  friendly  intercourse,  even  while 

217 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


218 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

she  is  confining  herself  to  appointed  places  and 
stated  hours  for  receiving. 

When  drawing-rooms  of  a  more  elaborate  char- 
acter, or  when  a  series  of  drawing-rooms  of  an 
always  increasing  splendor,  reproducing  periods  and 
celebrated  interiors,  are  introduced  into  a  house, 
it  goes  without  saying  that  an  architect  has  been 
or  should  have  been  in  consultation. 

A  discussion  of  detailed  appointments  proper 
to  these  drawing-rooms  would  carry  us  altogether 
beyond  the  scope  of  this  volume,  although  in  their 
decoration  no  one  can  escape  the  problems  confront- 
ing the  very  humblest  of  home-loving  spinsters  in 
the  most  modest  of  parlors.  No  woman  can  get 
away  from  the  question  of  color.  She  should  al- 
ways be  mistress  of  a  felicitous  manner  of  self- 
expression.  Certainly  she  can  never  hope  the 
money  she  spends  will  make  a  successful  home 
if  she  neglects  consideration  of  the  affections,  the 
sentiments,  the  accomplishments,  or  the  considera- 
tion of  those  needs  which  spring  from  the  weak- 
nesses and  idiosyncrasies  of  individual  anatomies, 
spineless  backs,  short  legs,  weary  shoulders,  strained 
optic  nerves.  Those  needs,  on  the  other  hand, 
which  can  only  be  supplied  by  pictures,  books, 
beautiful  colors,  flowers,  and  agreeable  society. 

It  is  the  human  touch  always  which  gives  value 
to  every  form  of  expression,  and  in  the  most 
sumptuously  appointed  drawing-rooms  of  "  palatial 
residences"  this  touch  must  be  present,  or  all  else 
fails.  The  quality  of  the  touch  depends  upon  the 

219 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

individual,  upon  her  degree  of  excellence,  her 
breadth  of  nature,  her  fineness  of  perception,  her 
powers  of  appreciation,  her  intellectual  endow- 
ments. Hang  a  room  with  the  costliest  tapestries, 
adorn  it  with  the  rarest  carvings,  or  fit  it  with  the 
canvases  of  the  master,  it  can  only  fail  or  win 
for  itself  such  success  as  its  mistress  has  in  her  to 
accomplish.  One  woman  will  know  how  to  draw 
her  sofas  up  by  her  fire,  and  so  to  lend  to  her 
sumptuous  interior  a  touch  of  intimacy,  cordiality, 
and  charm,  without  which  her  room  might  other- 
wise have  been  a  museum.  Another,  not  knowing 
how  to  do  this,  for  all  her  wealth  of  belongings, 
will  never  be  able  to  make  her  room  seem  other 
than  the  work  of  an  upholsterer  or  of  a  professional 
designer. 


220 


HOMES  AND   THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER    XV 

LIBRARIES    AND    LIVING-ROOMS 

FOR  some  reason,  among  us  libraries 
and  living-rooms  seem  interchange- 
able terms.    Perhaps  because  we  Amer- 
icans are  really  a  book-loving,   or  at 
least  a   book-admiring,   people,  liking 
to  surround  ourselves  with  the  evidences 
of  that  education  upon  which  as  a  nation 
we  lay  stress,  and  for  which  we  are  will- 
ing to  make  sacrifices.     Or  perhaps  — 
and  this  certainly  is  the  reason  which 
controls  in  our  larger  houses  —  be- 
cause we  are  almost   always   ham- 
pered  by  a  lack  of   space   in   our 
dwelling-places. 

In  country  houses,  the  library  is 
often  specially  designed  for  books, 
and  beautifully  proportioned ;  but 
except  among  the  men  and  women  of  wealth  in  our 
cities,  the  library  is  only  an  ordinary  room  in  an 
every-day  house,  generally  that  which  would  other- 
wise have  been  the  front  bedroom.  The  intro- 
duction of  bookcases,  sofas,  and  lounging  chairs, 
and  sometimes  a  few  alterations,  in  general,  trans- 
form it  into  a  library.  *  Occasionally  these  transfer- 


221 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

mations  -result  happily,  especially  when  the  hall 
bedroom  and  the  larger  room  are  thrown  together 
and  an  angle  made.  For  libraries  and  living-rooms 
should  have  angles  and  niches,  as  many  "  round 
the  corners  "  as  possible,  as  many  nooks  and  out- 
of-the-way  places.  When  the  plan  of  a  room  makes 
them  impossible,  the  sofas,  bookcases,  and  tables 
should  be  arranged  to  produce  them.  Recesses  are 
the  charm  of  libraries. 

No  one,  having  settled  himself  with  a  book,  wants 
to  become  at  once  in  evidence,  compelled  on  en- 
tering a  library  to  join  a  family  group  round  a 
centre  table  or  a  hearth  ;  to  take  part  in  a  general 
conversation,  or  to  seem  so  rude  when  declining  to, 
that  in  self-defence  he  must  carry  his  book  off  to 
his  bedroom. 

When  there  is  sufficient  wealth  to  make  additions 
possible,  care  is  expended  on  the  mantelpiece,  which 
should  be  one  of  dignified  proportions,  without  ex- 
cessive ornamentation  except,  perhaps,  in  the  way 
of  carvings.  This  room,  it  must  be  remembered,  is 
potent  in  its  influences  upon  the  young,  and  the 
mantelpiece  should  not  be  set  out  with  trifles,  much 
as  they  may  be  beloved  by  a  family.  Let  the  child 
have  its  trifles  in  its  nursery,  or  some  other  room. 
The  library  or  living-room,  for  all  the  fun  and  the 
merriment  which  may  at  times  go  on  in  it,  must  still 
maintain  a  certain  compelling  note.  It  must  possess 
an  elevating  character,  have  power  to  lift  even  while 
it  charms.  A  beautiful  plaster  cast  reproducing 
some  great  work  of  a  master  ;  a  picture  in  oil  or 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


water-color,  that  has  both  dignity  and  importance ; 
photographs  of  famous  portraits  and  pictures  —  any 
of  these  belong  over  the  mantels  of  such  rooms.  If 
none  of  these  are  possible,  a  wide  mirror  may  be 
substituted,  cut  to  form  an  over-mantel,  with  fresh 
flowers  in  front,  but  never  on  any  account  pictures 
of  French  milliners,  in  high  heels  tripping  over 
the  wet  pavements  of  Paris  ;  nor  gayly  dressed  ladies 
kissing  canary  birds  ;  nor  cheap  chromos  of  St. 
Cecilia  and  her  roses.  Chil- 
dren are  not  educated  by  these, 
nor  is  one's  own  mental  cali- 
bre strengthened.  A  stranger 
would  know  just  what  books 
to  look  for  in  a  library  or  liv- 
ing-room with  pictures  like 
these  over  the  mantel. 

Flowered  wall-papers,  of 
course,  are  out  of  the  ques- 
tion ;  but  perhaps  a  clearer 
impression  may  be  conveyed 
by  a  description  of  several  of  these  libraries.  In 
one  instance  the  two  front  rooms  are  thrown  into 
one,  entrance  being  had  through  the  smaller  room 
filled  with  black  oak  bookcases  running  to  the  ceil- 
ing and  enclosed  by  glass  doors  with  small  leaded 
diamond  panes.  The  two  rooms  are  divided  by 
columns  of  black  oak  with  carved  capitals.  The 
bookcases  in  the  larger  room  are  but  four  feet  high, 
giving  space  above  to  hang  pictures  over  the  dull 
red  paper.  The  doors  leading  into  the  hall  and  the 

223 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


adjoining  chambers  are  of  solid  black  oak,  —  genu- 
ine old  pieces  like  the  writing-table  and  the  chairs. 
The  lounging  chairs  are  upholstered  in  red.  The 
mantel  and  over-mantel  are  of  deep  yellow  marble ; 
the  fire-irons  and  fender  of  bronze.  The  andirons 
are  low-lions,  beautifully  modelled,  resting  their 

noses  on  their  paws.  The 
glass  of  the  leaded  win- 
dows is  white.  There  are 
no  thin  curtains  ;  those  of 
a  red  velvet  brocade  are 
drawn  at  night. 

White  book-shelves  ten 
feet  high  finished  by  a 
frieze  of  green  and  white 
paper,  ceiling  and  doors 
of  white,  a  table  six  feet 
long  in  front  of  the  fire- 
place, a  sofa  and  small 
reading-table  by  one  win- 
dow, a  lounging  chair  and 
table  by  the  other,  make  the  general  plan  of  another 
library  on  the  second  floor.  The  windows  having 
large  panes  and  making  privacy  impossible  are  cur- 
tained with  white  against  the  glass,  the  luxury  of 
uncurtained  library  windows  being  out  of  the  ques- 
tion in  a  city  block. 

When  entrance  from  the  hall  is  had  through  the 
larger  room,  the  smaller  one  becomes  an  alcove  or 
recess.  The  closet  holding  the  basin  with  hot  and 
cold  water  is  sometimes  removed,  the  space  being 

224 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

thrown  into  the  hall  to  form,  before  the  library  door, 
a  sort  of  vestibule  in  which  a  piece  of  furniture  is 
placed.  This  vestibule  adds  dignity  to  an  otherwise 
ugly  passage-way.  The  library  then  has  only  two 
doors,  side  by  side,  facing  the  front  windows  and 
divided  from  each  other  by  a  small  bookcase.  One 
door  leads  into  the  general  hall  through  the  tiny 
antechamber ;  the  other  into  the  sleeping-room  at 
the  back.  The  wood-work,  bookcases,  and  window- 
curtains  are  white.  The  charm  of  the  room  lies  in 
the  placing  of  the  furniture.  At  right  angles  to  the 
middle  window  (there  are  three),  a  large  sofa  is 
drawn.  This  helps  to  shut  off  the  alcove  behind  it 
holding  the  writing-table,  and  made  beautiful  with 
palms  and  a  rubber  tree,  the  widely  branching  fern 
being  set  on  pedestals.  The  only  pictures  are 
prints  and  photographs  from  celebrated  paintings. 

A  library  with  the  same  ground  plan  has  mahog- 
any doors,  bookcases,  and  furniture.  The  frieze  is 
of  Spanish  leather  of  dull  rich  tones.  The  chimney 
has  a  small  recess  just  below  the  shelf  for  holding  a 
book  or  two,  pipes,  and  tobacco.  A  big  lounging 
chair  and  a  table  are  drawn  up  by  it.  Sofas  and 
tables  are  arranged  to  make  angles  and  recesses  in 
the  room. 

The  wall  color  of  a  library  should  be  subordinate 
to  that  of  the  books,  forgotten  in  their  presence. 
A  bright  shining  red  is  objectionable.  It  takes  too 
great  possession  of  a  lounger.  Personally,  I  like 
no  color  on  the  walls  except  that  of  the  bindings  ; 
to  have  my  books  so  arranged  that  they  look  me 
15  225 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

straight  in  the  face,  as  it  were.  This  may  be 
because  the  library  which  I  remember  best  in  my 
youth  had  nothing  else  in  it  but  books,  filling  oak 
shelves  so  high  that  they  were  only  stopped  by  the 
ceiling ;  not  a  space  anywhere  free  of  a  volume,  ex- 
cept just  over  the  mantel,  where  an  engraving  hung. 
The  curtains  were  of  yellow  Nankin  cotton,  toning 
in  with  the  yellow  oak  of  the  shelves 
and  the  doors,  and  bound  with  a  nar- 
row band  of  Turkey  red.  How 
cheerful  it  all  was,  how  reposeful  ! 
That  yellow  Nankin  cotton  is  never 
seen  any  more,  and,  except  on  very 
old  books,  none  of  that  yellow  calf 
used  in  bindings,  and  growing  ever 
more  delightful  and  fragrant  with  time.  I 
get  the  comfort  of  that  yellow  which  I  love 
in  a  library  all  of  oak,  the  shelves  extending 
«t  to  a  beamed  oak  ceiling,  and  divided  from  each 
<<>  other  by  fluted  columns  with  carved  capitals. 
^  The  lowest  shelf  is  on  a  level  with  the  hand, 
the  space  below  being  occupied  by  a  series  of  small 
closets  for  holding  papers  and  pamphlets,  and  so 
cleverly  constructed  that  it  seems  only  a  panelled 
support  for  the  shelf  above.  The  only  picture  in 
the  room,  a  landscape  by  one  of  our  great  painters, 
is  over  the  mantel,  the  wood  of  the  over-mantel 
being  specially  designed  to  receive  and  frame  it. 
The  fireplace  is  of  plain  dark  green  tiles,  —  a  green 
that  is  low  in  tone,  cool  and  refreshing  in  quality. 
Nothing  is  allowed  on  it  except  one  curio  of  yellow- 

226 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

green  and  a  vase  of  flowers.  The  hangings  and  fur- 
niture are  of  dull  reds  with  dull  gold  braids  taking 
up  the  tones  of  the  oak.  The  table  is  of  old  black 
oak.  The  charm  of  the  library  is  irresistible,  its 
dignity  compelling. 

But  for  perfect  adaptability  to  family  life  and  hap- 
piness, where  is  there  a  library  or  a  living-room  to 
equal  this  one  ?  It  is  thirty-five  by  fifty  feet.  Op- 
posite its  wide  entrance  door  is  a  great  bay-window 
filled  with  plants.  At  the  end  of  the  room,  to  the 
left,  is  a  huge  fireplace  projecting  into  the  room. 
Facing  it,  there  is  another  bay-window  with  low 
window-seats  filled  with  cushions.  The  wood-work 
and  shelves  are  of  black  oak.  The  frieze  above  is  a 
dull  green,  with  a  broken  figure.  But  the  indescrib- 
able angles  and  the  niches  and  the  deep  window 
recesses ;  the  cushioned  seats  and  the  sofas ;  the 
places  in  which  twenty  people,  if  you  will,  can  gather 
together,  and  the  little  nooks  in  which  one  or  two 
alone  can  talk  in  quiet  and  seclusion  !  And  such 
places  for  children  to  curl  up  in  the  corners  with 
their  books  !  And  such  books,  and  so  many  ! 
And  such  traditions  as  the  room  has  made  for 
itself!  It  is  one  which  has  kept  all  of  the  family 
together,  and  gathered  to  it  all  the  family  friends, 
and  made  life  around  its  hearth  ideal.  Children 
and  grandchildren  have  come  back  to  it,  bringing 
the  young  husbands  and  fathers  too.  It  has  shel- 
tered them  all,  and  educated  them  all,  and  won  them 
all  to  its  sentiments,  made  them  lovers  of  books  and 
lovers  of  each  other.  I  think  of  this  room  and  its  in- 

227 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

fluence,  and  what  the  influence  of  rooms  like  it  might 
be,  whenever  I  hear  the  discontented  and  the  restless 
murmur  over  the  care  of  their  houses,  thinking  it 
must  be  so  much  better  to  write  a  book  or  to  paint 
a  picture  than  to  furnish  a  home ;  or  even  when  I 


- 

Ihl 


hear  those  talk  who  are  not  discontented,  and  whose 
homes  are  happy,  but  who  are  too  modest  or  too 
self-depreciating  to  understand  the  value  of  their 
own  labors.  For  a  house,  especially  if  it  has  in  it 
a  room  like  this  one,  stands  for  more  than  many  a 

228 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

volume.  In  reality  it  is  a  moral  factor  in  the  prog- 
ress of  the  time. 

Living-rooms  and  libraries,  when  they  are  ap- 
proached by  a  descent  of  several  steps,  gain  an  air  of 
distinction.  When  the  steps  turn,  a  small  platform  is 
made,  protected  by  a  railing  sometimes  hung  with 
rugs,  old  silks  and  embroideries,  or  left  plain,  as  in 
the  illustration.  This  particular  room  is  all  of  gold 
and  green.  The  wood-work  and  beams  have  been 
stained  green.  The  ceiling  is  inlaid  between  the 
beams  with  a  gold  wash,  stippled  to  imitate  the 
tones  of  a  dull  law  calf.  The  walls  are  covered 
with  a  dark  forest  green  burlaps.  The  curtains  are 
of  old-gold  Venetian  brocade.  All  the  furniture  is 
Venetian  or  Spanish,  except  the  divan.  Each  arti- 
cle is  covered  with  red  or  green  or  dull  tones.  The 
carpet  is  red.  This  room  is  in  a  city  block  and  fills 
the  back  yard. 

To  a  library  filling  one  wing  of  a  country  house, 
approach  is  had  by  several  steps,  leading  from  the 
old  part  of  the  house  to  the  library  door.  Instead 
of  railings,  book-shelves  protect  these  steps  on  either 
side,  the  top  shelf  supporting  a  row  of  flower-pots. 
The  library  is  of  great  size  and  belongs  to  a  man  of 
letters,  who  permits  no  overflow  from  the  parlor  — 
nothing  but  books  or  pictures  of  bookmen  on  his 
library  walls.  The  wood-work,  shelves,  and  ceiling 
are  of  light  oak,  like  the  table  six  feet  in  diameter 
placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room.  A  ruby  red  hall 
carpet  follows  the  steps  into  the  room  in  a  sweep  of 
color  toward  the  fireplace  opposite  the  steps.  Two 

229 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ample   sofas  are   drawn  up   at   right   angles   to   the 
hearth,  facing  each  other. 

The  placing  of  two  sofas  on  either  side  of  a  wide 
fireplace  is  a  common  custom  in  large  libraries  and 
living-rooms.  The  sofas  are  long,  of  course,  and 
low,  well  upholstered,  and  always  made  comfortable 
with  cushions.  The  back  and  side  pieces  are  often 
broad  enough  to  hold  books,  papers,  ash-trays, 
paper-cutters,  or  the  after-dinner  coffee  cup.  With 


these  wide  sofas  the  custom  is  to  place  a  row  of 
upright  cushions  flat  against  the  back  and  covered 
with  a  heavy  fabric ;  several  soft  down  cushions, 
covered  with  silk,  are  then  added,  to  indulge  the 
idiosyncrasies  of  special  anatomies. 

The  sofa  is  made  to  face  the  fire  when  the  room 
is  not  large  enough  for  two  at  right  angles  to  the 
hearth.  A  writing-table  back  of  the  sofa,  with  a 
lamp  arranged  to  give  light  to  those  on  the  sofa 
and  to  any  one  writing  at  the  table,  serves  to  sepa- 

230 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


rate  that  part  of  the  room  devoted  to  writing  from 
that  in  which  others  may  be  reading. 

Provision  is  made  for  other  loungers  by  reading- 
chairs,  small  tables,  and  lamps  drawn  up  between 
the  fireplace  and  the  window,  while  a  chair  or  two 
on  the  other  side  of  the  chimney  makes  it  possible 
for  the  visitor  to  feel  that  the  seat  he  has  taken  is 
not  the  special  property  of  a  spoiled  man  or  woman 
made  wretched  without  it.  A  beautiful  old  yellow 
satin  damask  bound 
with  a  blue  gimp 
hangs  at  the  windows 
of  one  of  these  rooms. 
The  walls  are  a  brown- 
ish yellow,  the  book- 
cases mahogany  with 
glass  doors,  —  genuine 
old  pieces  like  all  the 
furniture,  the  mirrors, 
and  quaint  silver  fill- 
ing  the  room.  One 
happy  inspiration  is  found  in  the  adaptation  of  an 
old-fashioned  toast-rack  to  a  letter-holder  on  the 
writing-table. 

When  a  room  is  small,  the  writing-table  may 
go  at  the  head  of  the  sofa  that  faces  the  fire,  but 
the  large  chairs  and  small  tables  must  still  be  drawn 
up  about  the  hearth. 

A  library  chair  is  not  comfortable  unless  it  is 
commodious.  I  like  it  provided  with  cushions. 
Morocco,  corduroy,  velours,  velveteen,  or  in  splen- 

231 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


«f 

ol 


did  libraries  velvets  and  rich  damasks,  are  used  as 
coverings.  Old  Cathedral  chairs,  with  high  backs 
and  carved  arms,  add  to  the  grandeur  of  the  room. 
One  library  that  I  haunt  has  these 
splendid  chairs  arranged  around  a 
very  long  room,  with  huge  carved 
fireplaces  at  either  end,  two  sofas 
drawn  up  by  one  of  them.  The 
book-shelves,  extending  to  the  ceiling, 
are  divided  half-way  by  a  little  gallery. 
The  great  oak  tables  were  once  the 
pride  of  some  monastery  or  baronial 
hall.  A  child  with  a  book  curled  up 
in  one  great  splendid  chair  is  as  com- 
fortable as  in  the  corner  of  a  sofa,  and 
even  more  picturesque. 

I    have   never    seen    a    library-table 
that  I  thought  too  large,  but  I  have 
seen    many   too   crowded.      The    ten- 
dency is  to    put   too  much  on   them. 
If  I   had  my  way  I  should  have  one 
that  was  kept  empty  most  of  the  time. 
I  remember  a  rented  cottage  at  the  sea- 
shore, a  simple  house  without  preten- 
sions.      It    had,    in    the    second-story 
hall,   an    empty   round    table    at  least 
seven    feet    in    diameter.     That    table 
always  secured  tenants  for  the  house. 
A   nest   of  small    tables   is    a   delight,   giving  you 
an    empty    table    whenever    you    want   it,  —  for   a 
work-basket,  a  luncheon-tray,  a  bunch  of  flowers, 

232 


Sfaina-d     brown 


gold 
CACC    •* 
han4  »«m.e  * 


16 

out    ia 
Ttx  «. 
«tm& 


od   w«e<l  cvrvtf. 
•n.   Munich. 


"IT    BELONGS    TO    A    BOUDOIR    OR    STUDY" 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


or  the  glass  of  milk  to  be  taken  at  eleven  in  the 
morning. 

A  desk  with  a  top  would  quite  spoil  certain  libra- 
ries. A  desk  implies  secrets,  the  possession  of 
papers  to  be  kept  under  lock  and  key.  It  belongs 
to  a  boudoir  or  a  study,  but  not  to  a  general  living- 
room,  where  possessions 
are  held  more  or  less 
in  common.  Desks,  once 
used  by  kings  or  magnates 
of  importance,  and  which, 
like  those  shown  in  the 
Louvre,  are  beautiful  ex- 
amples of  a  distinct  and 
sumptuous  period  in  art, 
would  be  beyond  the  reach 
of  people  of  moderate 
means.  Their  imitations 
would  be  reprehensible. 
They  are,  therefore,  not 
to  be  considered.  The 
mahogany  desk,  common 
to  New  England  and  the 
Southern  States  during  the 
early  history  of  our  coun- 
try, delightful  and  much  to  be  desired  as  they  are, 
adapt  themselves  to  those  rooms  only  in  which  the 
rest  of  the  furniture  is  in  harmony.  One  of  them 
would  have  ruined  the  living-room  furnished  with 
gorgeous  Spanish  and  Venetian  chairs,  or  the  library 
of  black  oak  and  yellow  marble  chimney-piece. 

233 


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M       • 
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cou.n.Tr. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Except  in  small  studies,  then,  or  boudoirs,  or  in 
bedrooms  and  morning-rooms  combined,  or  in  in- 
formal parlors,  writing-tables  are  to  be  preferred 
to  desks,  unless  the  desk  is  small  and  unobtrusive, 
and  can  be  tucked  away  in  some  corner  especially 
devoted  to  it.  Even  then  it  can  be  admitted  only 


on  sufferance.  When  a  writing-table  has  drawers 
on  either  side,  certain  private  papers  may  be  put 
out  of  harm's  way.  These  tables,  often  beauti- 
ful in  design  and  proportion,  with  carved  legs  or 
inlaid  surfaces,  are  great  additions  to  a  library  or  a 
living-room,  possessing  a  charm  and  a  character  of 
their  own.  They  become  distinctive  features  in  the 

234 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

work-rooms  of  men  of  studious  or  thoughtful 
habit.  Indeed,  except  for  the  fireplace,  there  is 
nothing  like  the  writing-table  to  lend  a  library  its 
excellence  and  quality. 

Within  the  last  few  years  a  small  table  has  been 
invented  for  holding  papers,  pamphlets,  or  account- 
books.  When  placed  by  the  larger  one  it  proves 
of  exceptional  service.  It  is  made  of  inlaid  ma- 
hogany and  stands  on  four  slim  legs.  The  top  is 
not  more  than  a  foot  in  diameter  and  has  three,  and 
sometimes  four,  upright  pieces  (also  of  mahogany 
and  inlaid)  arranged  like  the  silver  pieces  of  a  toast- 
rack. 

A  separate  table  or  corner  should  be  reserved  in 
every  living-room  for  the  periodicals.  Wide  pigeon- 
holes made  without  tops  are  sometimes  built  over 
a  corner  table ;  or  a  long,  narrow  table  is  spread 
with  periodicals,  not  piled  on  one  another,  but  laid 
in  lines,  so  that  the  titles  and  dates  are  recognized 
at  a  glance. 

In  some  of  the  more  beautifully  appointed  libra- 
ries, where  the  bindings  of  the  books  are  of  special 
excellence,  representing  the  work  of  men  famous  in 
their  craft,  the  doors  and  the  shelves  of  bookcases 
are  of  glass.  A  bevelled  glass  is  used  for  the 
shelves,  enabling  you  to  look  through  at  the  books 
and  their  bindings  below  without  touching  them. 

The  doors  of  mahogany  bookcases  always  show 
some  design  in  wood  over  the  glass.  An  artist  will 
make  his  own  design  for  the  lead  ;  weave  the  mon- 
ogram of  wife  or  children,  or  the  dates  of  family 

235 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

anniversaries,  in  the  lead,  making  special  doors 
memorial  tablets  to  different  members  of  his  family. 
The  work  must  be  well  done,  never  obvious  nor 
obtrusive,  else  its  value  is  destroyed.  When  well 
carried  out  the  result  is  most  interesting,  giving  to 
the  library  the  air  of  a  well-studied  plan. 

Books  are  the  important  features  of  a  shelf,  and 
I  never  object  to  one  of  pine  or  whitewood  when 
painted,  stained,  or  treated  with  oil.  A  little  groov- 
ing on  the  edge  gives  the  shelf  a  greater  finish. 

A  carpenter  can  do  all  the  work.  When  a  new 
set  of  books  is  to  be  provided  for,  you  have  only 
to  give  him  a  volume  to  measure  by.  A  piece  of 
leather  nailed  on  the  edge  of  one  shelf  protects 
from  dust  those  that  are  on  the  shelf  below. 


fumed 


236 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XVI 

HALLS  :    APARTMENTS 


are   two   kinds  of  halls 
JL     which  we  in  this  day  are  called 
upon  to  consider.      The   architect 
designs  one  ;  the  builder  constructs 
the  other. 

When  a  hall  is  to  be  treated 
we  must  know  whether  it  is 
a  harmonious  composition,  or 
whether  it  is  an  ugly  passage- 
way to  be  beautified  if  possible  ; 
but  the  problem  of  its  decora- 
tion can  never  be  solved  until 
H  \iiiiill'  lH'tH^'-Jl  certain  questions  are  answered. 

I"  *!!P'    >»-•  I   ^^flB*  \  i        i     it  r 

Where  does  the  hall  run  from, 
and  where  does  it  lead  ?  Is  it 
only  the  bare  passage-way  of 
an  ordinary  house  in  town,  the 
stairs  facing  the  front  door  ?  Or  is  it  the  hall  of  an 
apartment,  without  windows,  and  having  no  steps  ? 
Does  it  open  on  a  village  street  or  on  well-kept 
lawns?  Has  it  a  pleasant  vista?  What  rooms 
open  from  it?  Or,  has  the  purpose  of  its  owner 
been  to  make  it  a  lounging  place  for  his  friends 
and  his  family  ?  If  this  has  been  his  object,  has  he 

237 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

provided  his  house  with  other  passage-ways  and  en- 
trances, protecting  the  inmates  of  the  hall  from  the 
casual  visitor  in  town,  and  from  the  pedler  in  a 
country  place  ? 

The  subject  is  one  of  no  little  importance.  Like 
his  speech,  a  man's  hall  betrays  his  place  in  life,  and 
you  see  it  the  moment  that  his  front  door  is  opened. 
It  stamps  him  as  does  his  greeting.  A  man  who 
does  not  know  how  to  address  a  stranger,  who  is 
ungrammatical  and  awkward,  cannot  pretend  to  you 
that  he  has  been  born  and  bred  among  those  who 
have  been  accustomed  to  the  world,  and  that  at 
another  time  he  will  prove  it  to  you.  His  first 
words  have  already  convinced  you,  and  no  elabor- 
ately prepared  after-speeches  will  better  his  case. 
He  whose  hall  is  vulgar  with  inappropriate  belong- 
ings, made  pretentious  by  mere  display,  or  in 
which  the  stranger  is  too  quickly  admitted  into  the 
intimacies  of  family  life,  cannot  be  more  successful  in 
persuading  you  that  the  rest  of  his  house  is  as  it 
should  be,  or  that  the  secret  of  polite  living  is  his. 

When  a  woman  can  design  her  own  hall  as  a 
medium  of  expression  for  herself,  she  is  to  be  counted 
happy.  The  majority  of  us  must  content  ourselves 
with  those  which  the  builder  has  erected  for  our 
particular  pain  and  discomfiture.  And  of  all  those 
with  which  he  has  afflicted  us,  certainly  there  is  none 
quite  so  hopeless  as  that  found  in  an  every-day 
apartment,  a  passage-way  so  ugly  that  it  has  been 
made  the  subject  of  endless  newspaper  pleasantries. 

In  Mr.  Howells's  "  A  Hazard  of  New  Fortunes," 
238 


"THE    MAJORITY    OF    US    MUST    CONTENT    OURSELVES    WITH    THOSE 
WHICH    THE    BUILDER    HAS    ERECTED" 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Mrs.  March,  tired  out  with  trying  to  find  a  pretty 
apartment  in  New  York,  dreams  at  night  of  "a 
hideous  thing  with  two  square  eyes  and  a  series  of 
sections  growing  darker,  then  lighter,  till  the  tail  of 
the  monstrous  articulate  was  quite  luminous  again." 
The  every-day  flat  almost  always  has  the  light  par- 
lor in  the  front,  and  the  light  kitchen  or  bedroom 
in  the  back,  the  rest,  as  Mr.  Howells  describes  it, 
"  crooked  and  cornered  backward  through  increasing, 
then  decreasing,  darkness."  This  is  the  apartment 
advertised  as  "  seven  rooms  and  a  bath,"  and  the 
hall,  which  is  seldom  more  than  three  feet  wide,  is 
the  twisted  spinal  column,  as  it  were,  holding  the 
"  monstrous  articulate  "  together. 

In  apartments  which  rent  for  sixteen  and  eighteen 
hundred  dollars  a  year,  the  builder  now  and  then  has 
shown  some  ingenuity  in  introducing  a  small  vestibule 
just  inside  the  front  door,  but  even  in  that  case  he 
has  been  forced  to  make  a  long  passage-way  of  the 
hall  leading  past  the  bedrooms.  In  a  few  instances 
only  has  he  been  clever  enough  to  so  arrange  his 
hall  space  that  when  the  front  door  is  opened,  a 
pretty  vista  is  seen  leading  into  one  or  more  rooms 
at  the  end.  It  is  not  until  the  seven  or  eight  thou- 
sand dollars  a  year  apartment  is  reached  that  the  hall 
becomes  large  enough  for  any  architectural  effects, 
for  wide  marble  steps,  columns,  and  balconies. 

Like  everything  else  in  a  small  apartment,  a  hall 
should  be  treated  with  care  and  thought.  This  is 
imperative,  not  only  because  its  configuration  is  apt 
to  be  bad,  but  because  it  forms  the  one  general  pas- 

239 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

sage-way  on  which  the  parlor,  dining-room,  and  bed- 
rooms open.  You  must  go  through  it  to  reach 
your  kitchen  and  bathroom,  and  each  of  your 
visitors  must  be  ushered  into  the  parlor  by  way 
of  it. 

Because  of  these  visitors,  then,  your  hall,  if  you 
live  in  an  apartment,  must  suggest  no  compromises, 
betray  no  careless  intrusions  from  the  bedroom  or 
the  storeroom.  It  must  never  look  like  the  hall 
on  the  bedroom  floor  of  a  house.  Although  you 
may  line  it  with  books,  and  treat  it  with  a  certain 
informality,  you  can  never  regard  it  except  as  a 
passage-way,  always  ready  for  the  reception  of  the 
most  punctilious  of  your  guests. 

A  hall  begins  with  the  front  door.  It  is  to  be 
studied  first  from  this  point.  Properly  speaking, 
there  should  be  just  inside  the  entrance  a  table,  a 
seat,  a  tray  for  cards,  a  pencil  and  pad,  and  a 
place  for  men's  overcoats.  The  comfort  and  con- 
venience of  every  arrival  should  be  studied.  The 
messenger  boy  should  have  a  seat  while  he  waits ; 
so  should  the  old  lady  who  stops  to  have  her  over- 
shoes removed.  But  an  apartment  seldom  boasts 
sufficient  space  for  the  necessary  comforts.  The 
front  door  will  sometimes  open  directly  on  a  blank 
wall, and  must  be  closed  again,  the  visitor  safe  inside, 
before  either  the  maid  or  the  guest  can  move  in 
a  given  direction.  Nothing  is  so  awkward,  and, 
unhappily,  nothing  is  more  general. 

When  there  is  not  sufficient  space  for  the  chair 
inside,  one  should  be  placed  on  the  stair-landing 

240 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

outside,  for  the  benefit  of  the  breathless  visitor  who 
may  have  had  to  puff  a  way  up  three  or  four  flights 
of  stairs.  On  the  blank  wall  opposite  the  door,  a 
mirror  would  seem  better  than  a  picture.  It  would 
prove  the  most  flattering  of  tributes  to  the  excellence 
of  one's  guests.  Looking-glasses  make  the  vainest 
of  men  and  women  feel  at  home  at  once. 

The  proportions  of  the  mirror  must  depend  upon 
the  dimensions  of  the  hall  and  the  door.  It  may 
be  oblong,  oval,  or  square.  A  narrow  shelf  under 
the  glass  could  hold  the  tray  for  cards,  and  the 
clothes-brush,  were  its  design  good,  and  certainly  a 
flower  or  two,  and  if  the  hall  were  dark,  a  pair  of 
candlesticks  with  glass  globes  to  protect  the  flames 
from  the  wind.  Were  the  shelf  too  narrow  for  the 
candlesticks,  a  pair  of  brass  sconces  or  candle  brack- 
ets, fastened  to  the  wall  on  either  side  of  the  look- 
ing-glass, would  be  even  more  effective.  To  make 
the  composition  better,  a  plaster  cast,  toned  to  a 
good  ivory,  could  be  placed  above  the  mirror. 
Somewhere  between  the  mirror  and  the  parlor  door, 
however,  place  must  be  found  for  a  tree  on  which 
hats  and  overcoats  could  be  hung. 

When  the  door  of  an  apartment  opens  at  the  end 
of  a  long  hall,  the  whole  scheme  of  decoration  must 
be  altered,  for  in  that  case  there  may  be  too  much 
instead  of  too  little  for  the  visitor  to  see.  Then 
your  object  should  be  to  protect  yourself,  to  insure 
your  family  a  certain  privacy,  and  to  do  this  with- 
out shutting  all  the  doors,  rendering  your  hall 
impenetrable  in  its  gloom. 

16  241 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


242 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

This  purpose  may  be  accomplished  in  several 
ways.  A  portiere  hung  from  a  swinging  crane  of 
wood  or  iron  is  often  used.  When  privacy  is  de- 
sired, the  curtain  is  swung  forward.  When  a  freer 
passage-way  is  needed,  it  is  pushed  back  against  the 
wall.  The  most  conventional  plan  is  to  fasten  a 
pole  across  the  hall  with  heavy  curtains  on  rings,  to 
fall  straight  or  be  looped  back.  A  shelf  six  or  eight 
inches  wide,  holding  bits  of  pottery  or  brass,  when 
introduced  with  discretion  over  the  curtain  rod,  adds 
an  interesting  feature  to  the  hall. 

The  quality  of  the  draperies  must  depend  upon 
the  nature  of  the  surroundings.  Tapestry,  velvet- 
een, corduroy,  silk,  velours,  denim,  cotton,  taffeta, 
mercerized  cotton,  armure,  damask,  cretonne,  or 
embroidered  materials  are  proper,  but  no  textile 
should  be  used  which  would  create  a  stuffy  impres- 
sion. It  is  better  to  have  the  curtain  specially 
made.  A  good  pair  of  ready-made  curtains  is  only 
found  occasionally.  Never  be  tempted  to  purchase 
cheap  chenille  curtains  with  fringe  and  border.  There 
is  a  thin  Japanese  pink  gauze  of  soft  and  delicate 
tones,  covered  with  painted  flowers  or  figures,  which, 
while  screening  the  hall,  does  not  darken  it. 

I  like  a  table  in  front  of  the  hall  curtain  when 
there  is  sufficient  space.  A  row  of  cathedral  lamps 
suspended  from  the  ceiling,  while  monopolizing 
none  of  the  valuable  floor  area,  is  a  delightful 
addition  to  an  otherwise  uninteresting  interior. 

It  is  well  to  remember  that  curtains  are  always  of 
value  in  small  places,  because  they  never  betray  the 

243 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

exact  size  of  any  little  room.  In  decorating  the 
long,  narrow,  windowless  halls  of  apartments,  both 
curtains  and  mirrors  are  of  inestimable  service. 
Those  who  work  with  them  must  do  so  with  a 
twofold  object  in  view  —  that  of  suggesting  both 
breadth  and  mystery  —  of  there  being  something 
behind  the  curtain.  Another  room,  perhaps  !  As 
if  there  were  ever  any  other  undiscovered  room  in 
any  apartment!  The  casual  visitor,  however,  who 
has  come  from  a  house,  will  never  know  that. 

Long,  narrow  halls  may  be  partitioned  off  by 
screen  doors,  which  any  carpenter  can  construct. 
They  should  be  modelled  after  those  seen  in  Spain 
and  Cuba,  which  are  curved  or  painted  at  the  top, 
six  or  seven  feet  in  height,  leaving  a  wide-open 
space  between  the  top  of  the  door  and  the  high 
ceiling  for  a  free  circulation  of  air.  These  doors 
are  in  two  flaps,  each  half  door  being  hung  to  the 
wall  by  spring  hinges.  A  slight  pressure  of  the 
hand  is  enough  to  separate  them  when  you  enter. 
They  may  be  made  of  ordinary  pine,  covered  with 
a  textile.  Nothing  is  better  for  the  purpose  than 
the  tapestry  of  commerce  tacked  on  the  door  and 
finished  with  a  gimp  put  on  with  invisible  tacks.  A 
denim,  leather,  or  velveteen  with  brass-headed  tacks, 
would  also  be  effective.  Everything  depends  upon 
the  environment.  In  a  large  studio-apartment, 
where  tapestry  was  used,  a  most  agreeable  impres- 
sion has  been  produced.  The  door  which  it  covers 
not  only  protects  the  room  at  the  end  of  the  line, 
but  forms  a  vestibule  just  inside  the  front  door. 

244 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


Whether  curtains  or  doors  or  screens  are  used, 
the  question  of  what  is  to  be  seen  at  the  end  of  your 
vista  should  never  be  neglected.  On  no  account 
should  a  bed  be  permit- 
ted to  show  from  a  front 
door,  else  you  might  as 
well  model  your  home 
after  a  hospital  or  a  sol- 
diers' barracks,  where  the 
regulations  require  that 
beds  should  be  always 
in  evidence.  If  necessity 
compels  you  to  use  the 
room  at  the  end  of  the 
line  as  a  sleeping  apart- 
ment, and  to  place  the 
bed  where,  unless  pro- 
tected, it  would  be  seen, 
then  a  screen  at  the  front 
of  the  bed  is  an  absolute 
necessity.  A  view  of  the 
bed  is  never  permissible, 
except  during  some  fes- 


tivity, perhaps,  when  the 
bedroom  is  used  as  a 
ladies'  cloak-room. 

Neither  a  bureau  nor 
a  dressing-table   should 

be  put  at  the  end  of  a  line  of  vision.  They  would 
suggest  uses  where  privacy  was  peremptory.  A 
chair  or  a  table  would  be  excusable,  although  it 

MS 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

must  be  remembered  that  nothing  in  a  house  or  an 
apartment,  nor  in  any  place  known  as  a  home, 
should  be  so  arranged  as  to  suggest  the  fact  of  one's 
being  perpetually  in  evidence.  In  a  house  one  does 
not  sit  to  be  observed,  but  to  be  friendly,  and  to 
escape  observation. 

If  the  room  at  the  end  of  the  hall  be  a  parlor,  and 
a  sofa  or  divan  must  be  placed  in  a  conspicuous 
position,  something  should  be  done  to  protect  the 
occupants  from  the  gaze  of  the  people  to  whom  a 
front  door  has  just  been  opened.  A  table  with  lamp 
or  ferns  could  then  be  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  sofa. 
In  one  of  the  illustrations  it  will  be  seen  that  a  tall 
carved  Japanese  wooden  pedestal  has  been  used, 
surmounted  by  a  cathedral  candlestick  and  candle. 
When  a  vase  with  tulips  or  roses  is  set  on  this 
pedestal  (and  this  particular  householder  is  never 
without  such  a  vase  of  flowers),  absolute  privacy 
is  insured,  and  without  the  purpose  of  the  mistress 
being  made  too  apparent.  In  the  other  apartment- 
house  parlor,  a  table  with  ferns  or  palms  or  a  lamp 
accomplishes  the  same  results.  In  some  environ- 
ments, as  in  studios,  a  chest  of  drawers  or  a  book- 
case is  effective  at  the  foot  of  the  divan. 

Upon  the  size  and  configuration  of  the  hall  must 
depend  the  nature  of  its  wall  covering.  Its  color 
depends  upon  that  of  the  rooms  to  which  the  hall 
gives  access.  No  one,  for  instance,  would  want  to 
walk  from  a  flaming  red  hall  into  a  maroon  parlor. 
A  hall,  of  course,  for  all  its  reserve,  should  express 
a  certain  welcome,  but  it  should,  like  a  well-trained 

246 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

messenger,  make  itself  forgotten  as  it  points  a  way 
to  pleasures  beyond.  Its  manner  must  be  agreeable 
but  restrained.  The  more  inconspicuous  its  walls 
the  better,  although  yellow  in  certain  small  vesti- 
bules and  passage-ways  has  a  most  cheering  effect 
upon  the  visitor.  Like  the  neat  cap  and  uniform 
of  the  maid  who  opens  the  door,  the  yellow  of  the 
vestibule  conveys  an  assurance  of  all  being  bright 
and  orderly  and  unencumbered  within.  Red  with 
white  wood-work  makes  a  cheerful  hall,  and  when 
relieved  by  sconces,  brass  frames,  and  mirrors,  sug- 
gests a  warm  and  comfortable  interior.  Dull  golds 
and  greens,  gray  and  silver  greens,  Japanese  papers 
of  rich  warm  colors,  are  most  interesting  and  throw 
into  pleasant  relief  the  plaster  casts,  the  pottery,  the 
pieces  of  furniture  with  which  the  hall  may  be  filled. 

A  dado  of  dark  burlaps  or  velours  put  on  with  a 
gimp  or  bordered  with  a  moulding,  and  supporting 
a  lighter  tint  above,  helps  to  give  to  the  longest  and 
barest  halls  a  certain  finished  air.  When  such  a 
dado  is  used,  it  must  not  be  more  than  three  to 
three  and  one-half  feet  high,  and  if  the  hall  be  small 
and  the  adjoining  rooms  permit  the  treatment,  a 
flowered  paper  may  in  some  cases  be  used.  It  all 
"  depends,"  as  does  everything  else  in  life. 

For  instance,  in  a  long  and  narrow  hall,  a  flowered 
or  figured  paper,  that  went  on  endlessly  repeating 
itself,  would  be  wearisome  beyond  belief,  like  a  tire- 
some talker  who  would  never  be  still.  On  the 
other  hand,  such  a  long  hall  treated  with  a  plain 
tone  unbroken  by  any  figure  would  suggest  the 

247 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


dreary  monotony  of  a  penitentiary.  Lined  only 
with  pictures,  it  would  remind  one  of  a  museum,  and 
a  badly  planned  museum  at  that,  since  there  would 
never  be  space  enough  for  two  people  to  stand  and 
look  at  the  pictures  together,  nor  for  one  to  get 
close  enough  against  the  wall  behind  him  to  look  at 
the  pictures  on  the  opposite  wall.  The  study  of 

the  tenant  must  be  to 
break  up  the  lines.  This 
can  be  done  with  the  cur- 
tains, mirrors,  doors,  and 
hanging  lamps  to  which 
reference  has  been  made. 
A  mirror  is  urged  at 
the  end  of  a  long  narrow 
hall  which  makes  a  sud- 
den turn  to  reach  a  room 
beyond,  but  not  a  mirror 
which  deceives  the  person 
advancing  towards  it,  be- 
guiling him  into  bumps 
and  apologies.  Mirrors 
like  these  do  well  enough  in  hotels  and  railway  sta- 
tions, where  the  laughable  mistakes  they  entail  may 
be  found  amusing  by  the  impolite  observer  ;  but 
they  are  vulgar  in  houses.  Anything  is  vulgar  in 
a  house  which  constantly  makes  another  ill  at  ease 
and  awkward,  and  for  which  perpetual  explanations 
and  apologies  are  necessary.  A  suitable  mirror  for 
the  blank  wall  at  the  end  of  a  long  hall  which  turns 
must  not  run  to  the  floor,  or  be  made  to  seem  like 

248 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

an  opening  in  the  wall.  It  must  hang  on  a  level 
with  the  eye,  be  furnished  with  a  shelf  underneath, 
the  shelf  to  be  set  with  flowers  and  candlesticks. 
The  idea  is  merely  to  make  the  end  of  the  visual 
line  agreeable  by  providing  a  pleasant  composition. 
A  picture  over  the  shelf  might  take  the  place  of  the 
mirror  if  the  candlesticks  were  omitted,  otherwise 
the  effect  would  be  that  of  an  altar  in  a  long,  nar- 
row chapel. 

When  a  door  comes  at  the  end  of  a  long  hall,  it 
can  often  be  made  interesting  with  a  picture,  but 
without  the  shelf.  When  doors  are  ugly,  they  are 
often  curtained,  but  never  if  the  effect  produced  is 
heavy  and  the  atmosphere  made  close  and  oppressive. 

The  hall  chair  and  table  should  be  of  dignified 
proportions  and  without  upholstery.  Easy-chairs 
have  no  place  in  apartment  halls.  It  is  not  always 
possible,  however,  to  keep  the  appointments  of 
these  halls  as  one  would  have  them.  The  make- 
shifts and  the  compromises  must  enter  in  continu- 
ally, and  although  they  should  never  include  tables 
covered  with  fringed  wools  (a  cover  of  silk,  linen, 
or  cotton  fitting  at  the  top  is  not  to  be  confused 
with  that  which  is  to  be  excluded),  these  makeshifts 
may  include  various  provisions  made  by  a  carpenter. 
He  can,  for  less  than  five  dollars,  construct  a  com- 
fortable bench  with  a  shelf  above,  using  ordinary 
pine,  oiling  or  staining  it  walnut.  The  seat  may  be 
only  a  heavy  board  about  twelve  inches  wide,  sup- 
ported by  two  upright  pieces  let  into  the  top,  like 
those  seen  in  the  Dutch  kitchen.  Above  the  bench, 

249 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

high  enough  to  escape  the  head  of  the  sitter,  yet  not 
too  high  for  the  housemaid's  reach,  would  then  come 
the  shelf  for  the  card-tray. 

Another  substitute  for  the  chair  and  the  table  may 
be  found  in  the  cheap  pine  settle  used  in  kitchens.  It 
has  a  back  that  swings  forward  and  forms  an  ironing- 
table.  A  young  artist  of  my  acquaintance  has  one  of 
these  settles  in  her  studio.  It  cost  her  less  than  four 
dollars.  She  oiled  it  well  with  linseed  oil,  and 
waxed  and  rubbed  it  until  the  wood  took  on  the  soft 
dark  brown  of  old  oak.  At  either  end  a  design 
was  burned  in,  and  around  the  top  of  the  table  this 
inscription  from  the  lectures  of  a  famous  Frenchman  : 
"  Une  forme  doit  etre  belle  en  elle-meme,  et  on  ne 
peut  jamais  compter  sur  le  decor  applique  pour  en 
sauver  les  imperfections,"  which,  roughly  translated, 
means  that  a  form  should  be  beautiful  in  itself,  and 
that  no  one  should  depend  upon  pure  decoration  to 
make  an  ugly  thing  beautiful,  —  a  maxim  well  to 
remember  in  whatever  we  undertake,  either  in  the 
way  of  building  houses  or  of  dressing  ourselves. 

A  pine  settle,  then,  may  be  so  treated  as  to  be 
an  interesting  object  in  a  hall.  With  a  cushion  it 
makes  a  comfortable  resting  place  for  the  messenger 
or  the  maid  who  arrives  with  a  note  to  be  answered. 
It  is  infinitely  to  be  preferred  as  a  catch-all  for  over- 
coats to  the  common  oak  hat-racks  with  mirrors 
and  hooks,  or  the  oak  tables,  or  any  of  the  cheap 
manufactured  monstrosities  which  have  so  long 
afflicted  us. 

These  settles,  by  the  way,  can  be  burned  with  a 
250 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

design  stained  in  gay   colors  and  elaborated   into 
pieces  of  furniture  decorative  in  themselves. 

When  there  is  a  steam  heater  the  struggle  should 
be  to  conceal  it.  In  the  new  and  beautifully  ap- 
pointed houses,  the  radiator  is  covered  by  an  open- 
work metal  case,  often  very  beautiful  in  detail  and 


proportion  ;  but  in  a  cheap  apartment  such  a  posses- 
sion is  never  to  be  hoped  for.  There  is  a  curtain 
made  of  a  metal  netting  inlaid  with  small  glass  bull's- 
eyes  designed  and  manufactured  by  artists  of  note ; 
but  this,  too,  is  beyond  the  reach  of  ordinary  in- 
comes. It  is  better  to  use  unpretentious  pine,  to 
have  the  carpenter  build  a  shelf  or  two  over  the 

251 


HOMES  AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

radiator,  and  to  set  them  out  with  books  or  brass. 
When  the  shelf  is  not  possible  a  simple  piece  of 
stuff  thrown  over  the  radiator  answers  every  pur- 
pose. In  the  illustration,  a  steam  heater  standing 
in  a  dark  corner  has  been  covered  with  a  stuff  of 
low  tone,  so  as  not  to  accentuate  its  presence.  A 
Holland  milk-can,  filled  with  water  to  moisten  the 
air,  stands  on  top  of  the  radiator.  A  good  piece  of 
pottery  would  have  done  as  well.  In  the  hall  shown 
in  the  picture,  the  brass  of  the  can  has  been  repeated 
in  that  of  the  lantern  hanging  near  by,  the  lantern, 
like  the  milk-can,  serving  a  definite  purpose  —  that 
of  lighting  a  dark  corner.  The  fact  that  these 
pieces  of  brass  serve  purposes  of  utility  must  not 
be  forgotten.  The  uses  of  things  should  never 
be  ignored. 


252 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


T 
_ 


CHAPTER   XVII 

HALLS  :    HOUSES 

HE  halls  of  many  old-fashioned  houses 
of  New  England  ran  in  a  straight  line 
through  the  middle  of  the  house, 
with  a  door  at  either  end.  The  back 
door,  when  opened  and  thrown  back, 
gave  charming  glimpses  of  green  bushes 
and  flower-beds.  Great  dignity  and  repose 
characterized  most  of  these  passage-ways. 
The  substantial  was  never  neglected.  The 
tables  and  the  chairs  were  of  the  best,  always 
of  wood,  often  beautifully  carved,  and  sel- 
dom failing  to  look  as  though  they  held 
their  respective  places  from  the  beginning 
of  things,  unmoved  by  the  flight  of  new 
generations  past  them.  When  the  stairs 
turned,  as  they  do  in  Mr. 
Longfellow's  house  in  Cam- 
"*  bridge,  a  tall  clock  was 
placed  on  the  landing,  so  as  to  be 
seen  by  those  up  stairs  as  well  as  down.  Nothing 
as  easily  upset  as  a  lamp  on  a  slim  pedestal  could 
have  been  substituted  for  it,  nor  anything  as  mean- 
ingless as  a  bust  on  an  ill-balanced  stand  which  a 

253 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

whisk  of  a  petticoat  would  have  upset.  A  bust 
worthy  of  a  place  on  a  pedestal  is  worthy  of  being 
placed  out  of  harm's  way.  Now  and  then  a  win- 
dow at  the  head  of  the  stairs  was  filled  with  flowers. 
In  considering,  then,  the  halls  of  conventional 
town  houses  and  those  in  old-fashioned  dwellings, 
which  are  in  reality  nothing  more  than  passage- 
ways, pure  and  simple,  furnished  with  doors  open- 
ing directly  in  front  of  an  ascending  flight  of  stairs, 
we  can  hardly  do  better  than  revert  to  the  example 
of  our  forefathers,  remembering  that  whatever  their 
aim  they  succeeded  in  expressing  it  with  dignity 
and  repose.  We  of  to-day  may  be  as  successful. 
It  all  depends  upon  our  possession  of  sympathy 
and  taste,  our  quickness  in  appreciating  the  needs 
of  others,  and  the  readiness  to  provide  for  them  with 
felicity.  No  preparation  should  obtrude  itself;  the 
general  make-up  of  the  hall,  like  the  dress  of  a  well- 
appointed  woman,  should  be  so  perfect  in  all  its  de- 
tails that  utility  is  forgotten  in  the  grace  and  beauty 
of  the  whole.  This  should  hold  good  of  every  hall, 
whatever  the  shape  or  the  special  architectural  fea- 
tures ;  whether  in  a  house  or  an  apartment,  or  whether 
it  is  represented  only  by  a  tiny  ante-chamber  open- 
ing from  a  studio.  To  repeat :  a  hall  to  which 
casual  visitors  are  admitted,  whatever  the  size  or 
wherever  the  house,  should  respect  the  utilities,  pay 
observance  to  every  need,  but  it  should  do  so  with 
grace  and  tact.  Nothing  of  a  tawdry  character 
should  be  admitted;  nothing  suggesting  the  do- 
mestic relations.  The  employment  of  beautiful 

254 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


objects    is   always    to   be    urged ;    but    it    must  be 
remembered   that   either   the   inappropriate    or  the 
meretricious,   when  falsely  used,  will  rob  of  all  its 
charm  that  which  might  otherwise  be 
beautiful. 

A  bench  may  take  the  place  of  the 
hall  chair ;   elaborate  oak  carvings  be 
substituted  for  mahogany  ;  stone  may 
be  used  instead  of  wood  ;  a  card-tray 
may   be  of  copper,  fine  porphyry,  or 
simple  lacquer.     The  hall,  too,  may  be 
of  costly  marbles  or  simple  pine ;   but 
unless    there    be    dressing-rooms    near 
by,   like   those   built  in   some   of  our 
largest  houses,  where  wraps  and  over- 
coats are  removed  for  a  dinner  or  a 
ball,  some  preparation  must  be  made 
for  the  visitor's  comfort.     In  the  table 
draVer  of  the  smallest  hall,  as  in  the 
dressing-rooms  of  magnificent  houses, 
there  should  be  a  clothes-brush,  some 
black    and   white    pins,    and    a    fresh 
paper  of  hairpins,   and   a   hatpin   or 
two,  so  that  the  maid  need  not  run 
upstairs  when  a  guest  arriving,  even 
for  an    afternoon  visit,   finds   herself 
blown  to  pieces  by  the  wind  and  in 
need  of  a  little  assistance.  E*#KCWi.   .740 

The  hats  and  coats  of  gentlemen 
may   be  laid  by  the   butler  on   the  hall   table  or 
carved  bench.     An    old-fashioned    hat-rack   is    no 

255 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


longer  possible,  neither  is  one 
of  newer  manufacture  set  out 
with  mirrors  and  brass  hooks. 
In  the  high-stoop  houses  of 
town  the  hall-space  back  of 
the  stairs  is  now  reserved  for 
the  hats  and  wraps  of  dinner 
guests  wishing  to  be  spared  a 
journey  upstairs.  It  is  fur- 
nished with  a  mirror,  some- 
times running  to  the  floor, 
sometimes  placed  over  bench 
or  chair.  A  tree  is  provided 
for  the  wraps. 

Unless  a  staircase  is  en- 
closed, shutting  off  one  floor 
from  the  other,  the  wall- 
paper of  the  lower  floor 
should  be  continued  to  the 
roof.  Few  things  are  so 
hopelessly  ugly  as  a  paper 
that  stops  on  the  bedroom 
floor,  to  be  patched  out  there 
by  one  of  a  cheaper  grade  or 
another  color. 

In  choosing  the  color,  re- 
gard must  be  had  for  the 

o 

light,  the  direction  from 
which  it  comes  ;  whether  the 
sunlight  enters,  or  only  a 
flash  of  semi-darkness  out 
256 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  a  vestibule  when  the  street  door  is  opened.  Re- 
gard must  also  be  had,  not  only  for  the  neighbor- 
hood outside,  the  fact  of  your  having  to  enter  from 
brick  pavements  or  green  fields,  but  for  the  prevail- 
ing color  of  the  other  rooms,  on  one  or  both  sides 
of  the  hall.  With  rooms  on  either  side,  the  color, 
as  you  look,  should  present  easy  and  graceful 
transitions,  not  a  series  of  shocks  and  unpleasant 
impressions. 


Old 


Were  a  hall,  for  instance,  covered  with  a  maroon 
paper  showing  gilt  figures  (a  wall-covering,  unhap- 
pily enough,  not  uncommon  in  cheap  houses  made 
ready  to  rent),  and  were  the  dining-room  on  one 
side  to  be  covered  with  blue  paper  having  gilt 
stripes  (I  have  seen  them  like  this),  and  the  parlor 
on  the  other  side  with  a  red-flowered  paper;  and 
were  any  one  entering  the  front  door  able  to  see  all 
these  at  once,  what  would  be  the  condition  of  sensi- 
17  257 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

tive  nerves  ?  what  the  state  of  those  obliged  to  live 
with  these  combinations  of  color? 

Papers  pretty  in  themselves  may  not  "  tone  "  when 
seen  in  relation  to  each  other.  From  a  seat  in  the 
green  and  white  living-room,  in  one  country  house, 
you  could  look  through  a  green  hall  to  a  green 
dining-room  on  the  other  side.  The  last  green, 
that  of  the  dining-room,  was  a  different  shade, 
throwing  the  hall  and  the  rest  of  the  house  out 
of  key  and  spoiling  everything.  From  the  dining- 
room  door,  on  the  other  hand,  you  had  only  a 
charming  vista,  because  the  greens  of  the  hall  and 
of  the  living-room  blended  delightfully. 

After  a  color  has  been  chosen,  that  of  the  design 
must  arise.  A  long  narrow  hall  wants  neither  a 
large  figure  nor  a  perfectly  plain  surface.  A  small 
broken,  unobtrusive  figure,  just  large  enough  to 
give  a  feeling  of  quality,  without  over-accentuating 
the  outline,  is  best.  A  burlaps  may  be  plain,  how- 
ever, and  a  plaster  that  is  rough  may  be  painted 
with  a  solid  tone,  because  in  both  these  instances  the 
surfaces  are  uneven,  and  take  up  the  light  in  another 
way.  Personally,  I  dislike  the  roughened  plaster 
when  painted,  possibly  because  it  is  so  seldom  well 
done,  the  average  painter  understanding  nothing  of 
color.  The  manufacturer  of  a  good  burlaps,  on  the 
other  hand,  has  had  an  expert  at  work  on  his  colors, 
producing  better  results. 

A  wainscoting  of  wood  improves  these  halls,  or 
a  dado  of  burlaps  on  which  a  figure  has  been  sten- 
cilled, not  printed,  and  above  which  a  border  of 

258 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

wood  is  shown.  An  Indian  or  Japanese  matting 
may  be  used  instead  of  burlaps.  Textiles  of  finer 
quality,  which  are  appropriate  in  drawing-rooms  and 
parlors,  are  out  of  key  in  a  hall,  where  the  formal 
and  enduring  should  alone  be  expressed. 

The  hall  floors  of  rented  houses  are  often  of  com- 
mon wood,  in  too  bad  a  state  of  repair  to  stain  and 
cover  with  rugs.  A  carpet  is  necessary,  although 
in  a  hall  where  young  children  run  in  or  out 
from  wet  or  muddy  pavements,  a  carpet  is  not  to 
be  thought  of,  unless  it  can  be  shaken  once  a  week 
at  least.  Nothing  makes  a  house  so  objectionable  as 
a  well-trodden  floor-covering  seldom  aired.  Halls 
should  be  scrubbed  at  frequent  intervals,  and  when 
in  country  places  a  bare  floor  of  wood  or  marble  is 
not  possible,  oil-cloth  should  be  used,  darker  in 
tone  than  the  walls,  and  unobtrusive  in  color. 
Large  patterns,  squares,  and  all  designs  imitating 
marble,  are  to  be  avoided.  With  oil-cloth  or  lino- 
leum, uncarpeted  stairs  are  to  be  recommended,  if 
the  condition  of  the  wood  renders  this  possible.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  by  their  straight  ascent, 
stairs  present  a  surface  which  you  regard  more  or 
less  as  you  do  your  walls.  Standing  at  your  front 
door  or  in  your  hall,  you  do  not  took  down  on 
your  stair-covering  as  you  do  on  your  floor.  You 
face  it.  Your  endeavor  must  therefore  be  to  keep 
to  low  tones,  to  plain  surfaces  or  unobtrusive  fig- 
ures harmonizing  with  the  walls.  An  up  and  down 
staircase  has  no  architectural  values  to  be  respected, 
no  curving  lines  of  beauty,  no  proportions  meant 

2S9 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  satisfy  the  eye.  Unlike  a  grand  staircase,  it 
lends  itself  to  no  pictures,  no  charming  composi- 
tions made  by  men  and  by  women  in  sumptuous 
toilettes  descending  into  spacious  halls.  Elaborate 
decorations  of  the  staircase  are  not  possible,  as  when 


palms  are  put  on  wide  marble  steps,  after  the  fashion 
prevailing  in  palaces. 

One  sees,  in  many  of  the  houses  of  to-day,  and 
always  in  those  of  artists,  a  fashion  which  has  long 
prevailed  in  museums  —  that  of  lining  the  wall  at 
the  side  of  the  stairs  with  pictures.  Not  with  one's 
Van  Dycks,  nor  one's  Rembrandts,  not  even  with 

260 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

one's  best  water-colors,  but  with  interesting  etch- 
ings, photographs,  and  engravings.  The  idea  is, 
while  providing  a  passage-way  in  and  out  and  up 
and  down  a  house,  for  the  benefit  of  the  inmates, 
to  make  that  passage-way  pleasant  as  well.  These 
pictures  take  the  places  of  those  superb  tapestries, 
bronzes,  marbles,  and  plasters  which  are  used  in  the 
halls  and  about  the  stairways  of  imposing  dwellings. 
A  distinctive  touch  may  be  added  to  one's  own 
more  modest  stairway  by  a  bit  of  brass  on  the  newel 
post. 

The  pictures  placed  along  the  stairs  are  often 
made  to  express  a  special  line  of  interest.  A  clever 
man  made  a  bare  hall  interesting  by  photographs  of 
distinguished  men  and  women.  Inscriptions,  by  the 
originals,  gave  the  portraits  more  than  a  fleeting 
interest,  making  them  worthy  of  being  framed  and 
given  so  conspicuous  a  place.  An  artist  will  choose 
a  series  of  etchings,  or  engravings,  or  reproductions 
of  Raphael's  cartoons,  Botticelli  angels,  or  Braun's 
photographs  of  the  Van  Dycks  and  Rembrandts.  A 
lover  of  horses  lines  his  stairs  with  fine  old  sporting 
prints. 

The  stairs  facing  the  front  door  are  sometimes 
turned  half-way  down  their  flight,  bringing  the  bot- 
tom step  by  the  pantry  instead  of  the  street  door. 
This  arrangement,  admirable  in  case  of  no  back  stairs 
for  the  maids,  not  only  insures  more  privacy  to  the 
inmates  of  the  house,  but  makes  the  hall  itself  more 
interesting.  The  turn  of  the  steps,  forming  a  plat- 
form protected  by  a  railing  of  carved  wood,  may  be 

261 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


hung  with  rugs  or  bits  of  tapestry,  and  made  delight- 
ful with  cathedral  lamps.  The  curtains  falling  from 
under  the  platform  cover  two  openings,  —  one  lead- 
ing into  a  coat-closet  under  the  stairs,  the  other 
into  the  passage-way.  The  pantry  door, 
when  of  glass,  must,  of  course,  be  treated 
with  a  curtain  or  leaded  panes,  and  the 
lights  carefully  arranged,  and  some  note 
of  importance  added  by  a  plaster  cast  or 
a  mirror.  Growing  plants,  suggesting  in 
such  a  place  a  sure  demise,  would  be  ob- 
jectionable to  any  lover  of  plants  or  flow- 
ers. I  would  not  protest  against  the  use 
of  artificial  plants  except  that  I  know 
what  a  temptation  they  are  to  people, 
who  will  even  put  them  in  the  halls  of 
their  country  houses,  and  this  when  the 
gardens  are  abloom  with  flowers.  Hap- 
pily I  do  not  know  their  owners.  We 
would  never  be  able  to  agree. 

A  vestibule  should  be  even  more  for- 
mal in  character  than  a  hall.  It  is  meant 
in  these  days  merely  as  a  protection  from 
the  weather,  answering  the  purpose  of 
old-fashioned  storm-doors  seen  in  many 
country  houses.  Unless  left  open,  it 
becomes  intolerably  close,  unbearable  to 
the  visitor  shut  inside  by  the  spring  of  the  outside 
door.  The  vestibules  of  new  houses  are  larger  and 
the  atmosphere  less  depressing.  But  whatever  the 
size  and  however  beautiful  the  marbles  employed,  it 

262 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

preserves  the  same  formality.  It  may  have  its  steps 
lined  with  evergreens,  but  with  nothing  else  of  a 
portable  nature.  Like  the  storm-door  to  which  ref- 
erence has  been  made,  this  vestibule  is  only  intended 
for  protection  from  the  elements,  and  beautiful  as  it 
may  be  in  detail,  it  is  false  to  its  spirit  when  this 
formal  character  is  sacrificed. 

According  to  a  present  fashion,  the  doors  of 
the  new  vestibules  are  of  glass,  protected  on  one 
side  by  an  iron  grating,  on  the  other  by  a  hanging 
of  velvet  or  silk.  The  outer  or  street  door  has,  in 
many  cases,  the  glass  and  iron  only,  giving  a  view 
of  the  marble  vestibule  within,  with  the  marble  steps 
leading  up  to  the  inner  glass  door,  which  is  protected 
by  the  velvet  hanging. 

A  small  vestibule  leading  to  an  ordinary  town  or 
country  house  is  interesting  when  treated  with  a 
panelling  of  wood.  When  the  wood-work  inside  is 
white,  white  paint  in  the  vestibule  is  proper.  It 
always  suggests  a  certain  refinement,  but  must  never 
be  employed  except  by  persons  who  can  afford  to 
have  the  paint  renewed  whenever  a  sign  of  shabbi- 
ness  appears.  The  dust  of  the  street  has  free  access 
to  the  vestibule  if  the  outside  door  is  open,  and  noth- 
ing like  a  paper,  or  of  a  texture  that  soap  and  water 
will  injure,  is  admissible. 

The  glass  of  the  inner  vestibule  door  is  hung  with 
a  lace  or  muslin  curtain,  to  protect  the  hall  during 
the  day.  When  the  lights  are  turned  on  at  night, 
some  opaque  inner  covering  is  a  necessity.  This  is 
generally  of  silk,  either  in  the  form  of  a  shade  on 

263 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

rollers,  or  of  a  curtain  looped  back  during  the  day 
and  made  to  fall  at  night.  The  color  of  the  silk 
depends  upon  that  of  the  hall.  The  curtain  should 
be  so  fastened  that  puffs  of  air  do  not  disturb  it 
when  the  door  is  opened.  The  general  custom  is 
to  run  the  small  brass  rods  through  the  upper 
or  lower  part  of  the  lace  or  muslin. 

To  relieve  a  plain  muslin  or  silk  of  a  sense  of 
flatness,  it  is  gathered  on  the  rods.  Now  and  then 
a  curtain  is  made  of  the  finest  French  muslin  with 
an  embroidered  monogram  in  the  centre.  The  mus- 


lin  is  stretched  and  made  to  lie  smooth  on  the  rod. 
Only  the  finest  needlework  is  employed.  The  wood- 
work of  the  door  makes  a  frame  for  the  glass,  and 
therefore  for  the  curtain,  accentuating  it  into  a  special 
feature. 

A  door  opening  from  the  street  directly  into  a 
long  and  narrow  hall  is  often  finished  with  narrow 
glass  on  the  side  protected  by  an  iron  grating,  with 
a  transom  protected  in  the  same  way.  It  is  possible 
at  times  to  fill  the  side  window  with  a  plant,  but 
ordinarily  a  curtain  is  used.  In  certain  houses  in- 
habited by  lovers  of  color,  or  collectors  of  hang- 

264 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


ings,  the  transom  and  side  lights  are  treated  with 
a   Madras  curtain   covered  with   flowers,  the  light 
as  falling  through  giving  the  effect  of  stained  glass. 
Beautiful  shadow  silks  produce  the  same  effect,  but 
they  are  never  to  be  employed  except  by  persons  un- 
derstanding  the   relative   values   of  things. 
Indiscriminately     used,     these     textiles    at 
doors  would  be  as  objectionable  as  the  col- 
ored glass  of  commerce,  against  which  too 
fierce  a  crusade  can  hardly  be  preached. 

A  solid  wood  door  is  made  interesting  by 
a  bull's-eye  and  a  knocker,  like  the  door 
once  belonging  to  a  man  of  letters  in  New 
York  —  the  most  cheerful  and  the  most 
hospitable  door  to  be  found  anywhere  up 
and  down  the  street.  It  was  always  as 
though  your  host  had  not  only  stood  by 
the  door  himself,  but  had  come  with  ex- 
tended hands  half-way  down  the  steps  to 
greet  you.  It  was  the  one  door  of  its 
kind  on  the  block,  of  panelled  oak,  with 
one  yellow  bull's-eye,  a  brass  knocker,  and  ,. 

L  1_  •  •    .       1.  £  «!••% 

three  numbers  written  in  brass  figures.  •*  £o^o  (- % 
Simply  to  think  of  it  now  brings  back  the  ^TyTwITe 
feeling  of  its  old-time  welcoming  charm.  3:o"  ion.<5 


265 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


~Wroxi6Ht 


CHAPTER    XVIII 

HALLS  :   HOUSES  (continued} 

IN  the  modern  house  of  any  pre- 
tensions the  hall  has  come  to  be 
regarded  as  a  distinct,  important, 
and  often  imposing  architectural 
feature,  built  to  hold  a  grand  stair- 
way, once  the  glory  of  an  old- 
world  palace  ;  stone  fountains  that 
have  sung  under  Italian  skies,  or 
with  rafters  and  panellings  made 
to  imitate  those  in  famous  cha- 
teaux. But  it  is  only  within  com- 
paratively recent  years  that  we 
have  done  as  much  for  our  halls. 
I  happened,  the  other  day,  to 
make  two  afternoon  visits  in  two  different  houses 
on  either  side  of  one  of  our  old-fashioned  squares. 
The  first  house,  built  by  a  celebrated  statesman, 
cost  untold  sums,  and  New  Yorkers  of  a  generation 
ago  can  remember  the  tales  that  were  told  of  its 
magnificence,  its  fabulous  wealth  of  detail,  its  painted 
ceilings,  and  marvellous  upholsteries.  But  what 
dreariness,  what  gloom,  what  an  overpowering  sense 

266 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  oppression  weighed  upon  me  as  I  entered,  as 
though  everything  in  the  life  of  the  man  who  had 
dwelt  there  must  have  pressed  heavily,  even  the 
provision  made  for  his  pleasures.  The  hall  was 
gloomy,  lighted  only  by  the  glass  of  the  front  door ; 
the  walnut  stairs,  though  wide  and  curving, 
were  ugly  and  over-weighted ;  the  two  draw- 
ing-rooms, opening  into  each  other,  were 
lighted  by  only  small  windows  in  front ;  the 
huge  dining-room  ran  across  the  entire  width 
of  the  back  of  the  house  and  took  all  the 
light  from  the  middle.  I  could  only  sit  and 
wonder  at  it  all,  —  at  the  absence  of  grace 
and  beauty,  the  disregard  of  cheerfulness. 
Here,  I  felt,  was  the  apotheosis  of  the  pon- 
derous. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  square  a  house  as 
famous  in  its  day,  as  costly  and  as  drearily 
splendid,  had  been  transformed  info  a  dwell- 
ing of  hospitable  welcoming  fireplaces,  ex- 
quisite ceilings  —  a  place  of  beauty,  repose, 
and  indefinable  charm  ;  and  withal  of  such 
refinement,  with  such  a  livable,  lived-in 
quality  about  it,  that  the  veriest  stranger 
would  have  felt  the  grace  and  sweetness  of  the 
hostess,  prevailing  like  an  atmosphere  everywhere. 
Nothing  that  was  dark,  gloomy,  or  ponderous  was 
permitted  here.  The  marble  hall,  which  I  entered 
from  the  street,  was  wide  and  spacious.  The  marble 
stairs  leading  to  the  hall  on  the  dining-room  floor 
had  been  turned.  Tapestries  were  hung  above  them, 

267 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

while  below  their  marble  facing  an  Italian  fountain 
trickled  into  an  old  marble  tomb  rilled  with  maiden- 
hair ferns  and  white  azaleas. 

I  had  seen  this  hall  before,  but  coming  as  I  did 
that  day  direct  from  the  house  on  the  other  side  of 
the  square,  with  its  dingy  old  hall  which  marked  the 
height  of  a  past-time  splendor,  the  contrast  between 
the  two  made  a  profound  impression  on  me.  I 
realized  then  what  the  architectural  development  of 
the  last  twenty-five  years  had  done  for  New  York; 
what,  especially,  it  had  done  for  our  halls,  no  longer 
built  along  stilted  and  angular  lines.  The  wild, 
haphazard  departure  of  many  an  ambitious  house- 
holder into  halls  large  enough  to  be  used  as 
living-rooms  merely  marked  a  certain  stage  in  its 
evolution.  People  felt  the  need  of  something  bet- 
ter than  the  things  they  had,  and  when  the  larger 
halls  were  built,  they  did  not  want  the  extra  space 
to  go  to  waste.  We  are  an  economical  people,  for 
all  our  lavishness  in  certain  directions.  But  the 
charm  of  the  hall  I  have  just  described  would  have 
been  hopelessly  destroyed  had  there  been  any  sign 
of  its  being  used  except  as  a  means  of  passage  from 
the  street,  and  from  the  two  cloak-rooms  on  that 
floor  to  the  hall  of  the  drawing-room  floor  above, 
where  the  family  life  began.  For  the  possessor  of 
a  sumptuous  house  with  beautifully  proportioned 
halls  can  afford,  even  less  than  the  possessor  of  a 
modest  passage-way,  to  neglect  certain  principles  of 
good  form  and  social  usage. 

When  one  lives  in  the  country  on  estates  of  one's 
268 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


own,  and  when  one  is  remote  from  the  neighbor  and 
protected  from  the  pedler,  much  latitude  may  be 
permitted  in  the  arrangement  of  the  hall,  since  much 

is    permitted    in    the 

life 


of  the  family. 
In  summer  houses, 
built  in  the  woods,  or 
by  the  sea,  the  outer 
door  may  open  di- 
rectly into  the  living- 
room,  out  of  which 
the  stairs  ascend  to 
the  bed-rooms.  But 
this  arrangement  is 
the  intended  expres- 
sion of  a  desire  to  es- 
cape the  exactions  of 
a  punctilious  world, 
to  get  away  from  re- 
sponsibilities into  a 
holiday  atmosphere. 
The  halls  of  such 
places,  therefore,  like 
the  lives  of  the  fam- 
ily frequenting  them,  cannot  be  subjected  to  con- 
ventional rules,  the  whole  purpose  having  been  to 
escape  them. 

When  the  hall  is  used  as  a  living-room,  a  separate 
entrance  should  be  provided  for  the  stranger,  the 
telegraph  boy,  the  book  agent,  or  the  newly  arrived 
neighbor  who  has  come  to  return  a  visit.  The  lady 

270 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  the  house  may  not  object  to  throwing  her  doors 
wide  open  to  the  world,  but  the  timid  stranger  may 
prefer  a  more  gradual  approach.  It  makes  a  bad 
impression  on  the  visitor  to  discover  himself  ushered 
into  the  very  midst  of  things  when  the  door  of  a 
town  house  is  opened,  whether  the  family  be  present 
or  not.  I  do  not  like  it  any  more  than,  having  a 
note  to  write,  I  like  to  be  seated  by  a  maid  before 
a  desk  where  all  my  hostess's  papers  lie  open  be- 
fore me.  Halls  that  are  used  as  living-rooms  are 
never  permissible  unless  there  are  service  doors  in 
some  other  parts  of  the  house.  The  ancestral  halls 
of  Europe,  pictures  of  which  have  no  doubt  quick- 
ened the  longing  of  many  an  imitator  on  this  side  the 
water,  served  a  different  purpose.  An  upstairs  hall 
reserved  for  the  exclusive  use  of  the  family,  like  the 
downstairs  hall  of  an  out  of  the  way  country  house, 
is  an  altogether  different  affair.  It  may  be  treated 
as  a  family  lounging  place,  provided  only  the  ser- 
vants do  not. need  to  pass  through  it  on  their  way 
to  their  rooms. 

I  am  careful  to  make  this  point,  because  the  hall 
and  the  passage  are  so  often  violated  in  attempts  to 
use  them  as  living-rooms.  Not  long  since,  some 
one  wrote  to  ask  me  how  a  passage-way,  eight  by 
fourteen  and  without  windows,  in  an  ordinary  brick 
house,  could  be  made  into  a  Turkish  smoking-room 
for  her  husband  and  his  guests  —  Turkish  smoking- 
rooms,  as  she  told  me,  having  become  fashionable 
in  her  neighborhood,  and  there  being  no  other 
space  in  her  house  available  for  one.  She  was  par- 

271 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ticularly  anxious  to  know  how  the  draught  from  the 
staircase,  which  led  into  her  basement,  might  be 
kept  from  the  smokers,  and  the  other  stairs  con- 
cealed, —  the  only  stairs,  by  the  way,  which  her  ser- 
vants could  use.  She  permitted  no  smoking  in 
her  parlor  on  account  of  the  odor. 

One  of  the  most  exquisite  halls  I  know  of,  for  a 
country  house,  was  designed  with  reference  to  a 
pine-tree  outside.  The  design  included  it  in  the 
scheme  of  the  interior,  as  it  were.  This  was  done 
by  putting  a  large  plate-glass  window  before  it  at 
the  end  of  the  hall.  Not  to  make  too  abrupt  an 
impression,  the  six  feet  of  wall-space  below  the 
window  was  filled  with  green,  an  Italian  marble 
fountain  dripping  over  them  into  a  marble  basin 
on  the  floor  which  held  aquatic  plants.  At  the 
other  end  the  hall  opens  on  a  wide  marble  terrace 
descending  by  steps  to  the  lawn,  beyond  which 
miles  of  green  land  stretch  to  the  hills  on  the 
horizon.  In  this  way  the  feeling  of  the  country 
has  been  preserved  in  a  hall  of  beautiful  appoint- 
ments, the  green  woods  at  one  end  being  balanced 
by  the  stretch  of  green  lands  on  the  other. 

The  entrance  door  is  on  the  side,  so  are  the  stairs, 
which  turn  half-way  up  and  give  a  wide  landing 
with  a  large  memorial  window.  This  window  is  so 
placed  as  to  be  visible  only  from  the  bottom  or  top 
of  the  stairs,  making  a  distinct  and  separate  feature, 
which  does  not  interfere  with  the  hall's  general 
tone  or  character.  I  am  careful  to  make  this  point, 
because  again  and  again  I  have  been  appealed  to 

272 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

by  persons  living  in  the  country  who  have  been 
persuaded  into  the  use  of  stained  glass  in  their 
houses  only  to  have  everything  about  them  thrown 
out  of  key,  without  their  understanding  why ;  and 
who  have  placed  this  glass,  not  where,  were  it  beau- 
tiful (which  unhappily  it  is  not  apt  to  be),  it  would 
have  a  value  of  its  own,  and  for  itself,  but  where,  as 
in  a  parlor,  it  becomes  a  dominating  and  discordant 
note. 


18  273 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XIX 


WINDOWS 


W 


INDOWS  have  often  been 
likened  to  the  eyes  of  a 
house,  but  they  are  something 
more  than  that  to  me.  I 
never  escape  the  feeling  of  the 
face  behind  the  pane,  and  sel- 
dom of  the  soul  shining  out 
of  the  face.  Show  me  the 
windows  of  a  house  and  I  will 
show  you  the  manner  of  per- 
son dwelling  inside.  Walk 
the  streets,  drive  along  the 
country  roads,  do  not  the  win- 
dows that  you  see,  like  the 
faces  you  meet,  betray  charac- 
ter back  of  them  ?  Consider  the  perpetually  drawn 
green  shades  of  the  farmhouse  parlor.  Do  you  not 
get  the  very  atmosphere  of  the  room,  a  room  never 
opened  to  the  sunlight,  and  but  rarely  opened  to 
the  visitor  ?  Think  of  the  cheap  Nottingham-lace 
curtains,  falling  in  straight  folds  from  the  curtain 
rod  to  the  floor.  You  see  them  everywhere,  —  in 
the  tenements  of  towns,  and  in  small  brick  houses 
of  country  places  and  of  outlying  city  streets.  I 

274 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 

am  always  suspicious  of  these,  they  serve  so  often 
as  shields  behind  which  a  householder  may  peep  at 
you  unobserved.  Now  and  then  one  of  these 
curtains  will  part,  giving  you  a  vision  of  untidy 
children.  And  you  know  how  pretentious  the 
even  cheap  lace  has  been.  Not  half  a  block  away 
there  may  be  a  hanging  costing  not  a  third  as 
much,  which,  by  a  loop  or  a  line,  or  some  subtle 
touch,  betokens  refinement  and  order. 

And  even  in  these  better-appointed  windows  the 
materials  of  which  the  thin  curtains  are  made  are 
often  too  elaborate  to  be  laundered,  and  are  made, 
therefore,  to  last  through  a  season.  Toward  spring 
those  of  many  a  prosperous  person  show  heavy 
lines  of  dust  just  above  the  sash.  The  silk  or  satin 
of  the  drapery  within  may  shed  this  dust,  but 
muslin  retains  it.  Who  can  deny,  then,  that  it 
becomes  easy  to  question  the  habits  of  the  house- 
keeper who  chooses  a  material  that  cannot  be  laun- 
dered, putting  it  in  a  window  where  the  dust  of  the 
street  is  bound  to  reach  it  as  it  rises  in  the  wind  ? 
In  New  York,  where  cleanliness  is  only  purchased 
at  the  price  of  eternal  vigilance,  curtains  next  the 
window-panes  must  be  washed  frequently.  I  know 
one  woman  who  has  her  thin  parlor  curtains  changed 
sixteen  times  from  November  to  May ;  but  then, 
she  always  keeps  her  windows  open  a  little  from  the 
top.  There  is  never  a  neglected  corner  in  her  life. 

The  nature  of  the  inmates  is  also  betrayed  by 
the  objects  placed  in  a  window.  Once,  as  I  rode 
in  a  trolley  past  a  row  of  three  or  four  story  brick 

275 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

houses  on  a  side  street,  I  counted  twelve  windows 
in  four  blocks  that  had  Nottingham  lace  curtains 
drawn  just  far  enough  apart  to  show  a  lamp  in 
each.  A  light  in  a  window  may  have  a  certain  au- 
thority lent  it  by  poetry  and  sentiment,  but  certainly 
not  when  the  lamp  is  set  on  a  pedestal  and  framed 
about  by  lace  draperies.  Of  course  I  knew  that 
those  gaudy  affairs,  with  their  gorgeously  decorated 
glass  globes,  just  under  those  fluffy,  inflammable 
curtains,  were  never  meant  to  be  lighted,  else  no 
fire  department  could  have  saved  the  city.  Their 


owners  had  only  desired  to  prove  certain  posses- 
sions to  rival  neighbors,  like  vain  children  who 
parade  the  streets  to  show  off  new  umbrellas. 
Growing  plants  in  these  windows  would  have  indi- 
cated other  sentiments,  but  lamps,  cheap  statuettes, 
and  cut  flowers  in  vases,  placed  in  a  window  with 
curtains  falling  high  behind  them,  arranged  solely 
for  the  benefit  of  the  passer-by,  are  intended  only 
for  display,  and  stamp  the  householder  as  one  who 
knows  nothing  either  of  social  requirements  or  the 
manner  of  living  adopted  by  a  polite  world. 

276 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

And  yet  I  maintain  that  the  passer-by  ought 
never  to  be  altogether  ignored  in  the  arrangement 
of  our  windows.  There  was  a  woman  in  Boston 
who  understood  this.  She  had  her  window-boxes 
filled  every  spring,  and  her  little  plot  of  city  yard 
planted  with  flowers.  When  she  went  away  in 
summer  she  employed  a  gardener  to  keep  these 
boxes  and  flowers  in  order,  solely  for  the  benefit  of 
the  people  left  behind  in  the  streets,  and  obliged  to 
pass  daily  miles  and  miles  of  closed  windows  and 
drawn  blinds.  Her  action  has  always  appealed  to 
me.  I  believe  that  windows,  like  well-bred  people, 
can  protect  themselves  from  intrusion  without  put- 
ting palpable  affronts  upon  every  one  who  ap- 
proaches, and  that  they  can  do  this  while  still  being 
affable  and  graceful.  One  cheerful  window,  arranged 
with  consideration  for  one's  neighbors  and  the 
passers-by,  will  often  relieve  the  tedium  of  a  whole 
city  block,  and  send  the  wayfarer  on  his  way  rejoic- 
ing. Opposite  my  dressmaker's  there  is  a  window 
of  this  kind.  It  is  always  flooded  with  sunshine. 
The  panes  are  brightly  polished,  so  that  in  the  sun- 
light they  serve  of  themselves  as  a  protection.  No 
muslin  curtains  hang  against  them  ;  instead,  brass 
jardinieres  fill  the  sills,  the  ivies  and  the  little  palms 
in  them  having  been  trained  high  enough  to  act  as 
a  screen.  Yet  the  idea  of  their  being  intended  as  a 
screen  does  not  occur  to  you.  You  think  of  the 
plants,  of  their  free,  sunny  life.  At  the  same  time, 
as  you  study  them  you  realize  that;  no  haphazard 
touch  has  arranged  them  ;  that  they  have  been 

277 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

placed  there  by  an  expert  with  skill  and  tact, 
producing  an  impression  of  undeniable  charm. 
You  catch  sight  of  a  pair  of  muslin  curtains  inside, 
and  you  know  that  in  cases  of  necessity  these  cur- 
tains can  be  allowed  to  fall.  You  know,  too,  that 
there  is  a  shade  which  can  be  drawn  when  the  lamps 
are  lighted.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  people  loving 
blue  skies  and  sunlight  live  behind  those  panes ; 
people  preferring  the  out-of-doors,  with  its  fresh- 
ness, to  stuffy  effects  indoors  produced  by  windows 
trimmed  with  frills  and  furbelows  like  a  lady's 
petticoat. 

There  are  ever  so  many  ways  in  which  a  window 
may  be  made  to  look  well  from  the  street  and  be 
given  an  individual  and  distinctive  air.  A  note  of 
red  in  one,  a  touch  of  yellow  in  another,  a  growing 
leaf  against  the  pane,  will  accomplish  much.  You 
may  get  a  note  of  color  sometimes  from  an  inside 
drapery ;  sometimes  from  a  soft  rich  satin  hanging, 
or  again  from  a  plant  in  bloom.  They  must  be 
mere  suggestions,  however,  else  they  become  obtru- 
sive, and  obtrusiveness,  especially  where  one's  family 
life  is  concerned,  is  always  vulgar.  "In  privacy," 
says  Mr.  Fuller,  "  there  is  a  fine  charm,  a  high  dis- 
tinction." But  I  sometimes  believe  that  he  is  right 
when  he  adds,  that  among  us,  especially  in  certain 
parts  of  our  country,  "  nothing  is  more  public  than 
privacy,  nothing  more  ostentatious  than  reticence, 
nothing  more  calculated  to  draw  the  unfavorable 
notice  of  the  community  than  any  attempt  at 
seclusion."  For  we  take  down  all  the  fences  in 

278 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


XA  an  unlraBce.  3°tv1l 

jiraclows,; 

/ 


279 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

our  country  towns ;  we  line  our  houses  with  front 
porches  that  become  our  summer  drawing-rooms  ; 
inside  our  houses  we  sit  with  open  doors.  "  What 
can  I  do  to  make  my  parlor  look  homelike  ?  "  some 
woman  wrote  me  once.  "  When  my  husband  and 
I  come  home  from  church  on  Sunday  night  we 
always  stop  on  the  pavement  and  look  into  our 
parlor.  Everything  seems  so  stiff,  so  back  against 
the  wall."  No  wonder,  as  I  wrote  her;  perhaps 
even  the  chairs  are  trying  to  shrink  out  of  the  way 
of  public  gaze.  Need  I  say  that  I  urged  her  to 
begin  her  reform  by  pulling  down  her  shades  ? 
She  is  not  the  only  woman  living  in  a  small  town 
who  thinks  it  proper  to  permit  the  passing  stranger 
a  view  of  her  parlor  or  her  sitting-room,  who  would 
have  all  the  world  know  that  in  her  house,  at  least, 
there  are  no  secrets  to  be  hidden  ! 

One  of  the  best  ways  of  securing  privacy  by 
means  of  a  curtain  is  to  hang  a  thin,  almost  trans- 
parent colored  material  over  the  muslin  that  is  next 
the  panes.  The  muslin  curtain  against  the  panes 
can  then  be  looped  back,  high  or  low,  not  only  to 
look  well  from  the  street,  but  to  admit  all  the  air 
and  sunlight  possible  into  the  room.  The  sheer 
and  soft  transparent  material  which  is  hung  over  the 
muslin  on  the  room  side  will  soften  the  light  that 
enters,  and  in  this  way  add  to  the  general  charm  of 
the  room,  especially  for  those  who  are  sensitive  to 
color.  The  view  of  the  street  from  inside  the  room 
is  also  more  or  less  excluded  ;  for,  unlike  the  lace  cur- 
tain, this  sheer  material  does  not  permit  the  indi- 

280 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

vidual  indoors  to  take  advantage  of  the  man  on 
the  street,  gaining  a  view  of  him  without  being  seen 
one's  self.  You  must  draw  it  aside  in  order  to 
see  distinctly  the  objects  outside.  This,  however, 
is  easily  done,  the  curtain  being  run  on  a  fine  brass 
rod.  Some  persons  content  themselves  with  using 
picture-wire,  which  often  serves  a  most  excellent 
purpose  for  housekeepers  cramped  for  means. 

This  sheer  material  is  generally  of  silk,  —  not 
China  silk,  it  must  be  remembered,  which  is  much 
too  thick  for  the  purpose.  Silkoline,  when  a  good 
shade  can  be  had,  does  very  well,  if  economy  has 
to  be  considered.  I  have  known  yellow  silkoline, 
that  cost  but  ten  cents  a  yard,  to  hang  in  a  sunny 
window  for  several  years  without  fading,  and  to  be 
laundered  in  the  meantime  too.  When  the  muslin 
curtain  next  the  panes  is  white,  the  glare  in  sunlight 
becomes  distressing,  and  this  soft  over-hanging 
softens  the  glare.  Yellow,  pink,  or  apple-green  is 
used,  depending  upon  the  color  in  the  room.  Now 
and  then  a  lover  of  brilliant  hues  insists  on  red. 
Soft  rose-pink,  however,  is  quite  as  becoming. 
Yellow  is  always  used  where  the  light  is  cold,  as  in 
a  north  room.  Yellow,  as  we  all  know,  gives  the 
effect  of  sunlight.  The  curtain  against  the  pane  is 
not  always-  ruffled,  though  so  much  of  softness  and 
grace  is  gained  by  a  ruffle  that  it  is  generally  worth 
while  to  have  one,  even  at  the  cost  of  a  little 
trouble. 

My  reasons  for  suggesting  two  curtains  are 
many.  They  are  especially  desirable  for  the  dweller 

281 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

in  town,  who  does  not  have  trees  or  views,  but  his 
opposite  neighbor's  walls  to  consider.  These  sheer 
soft  silks  can  be  as  readily  laundered  as  muslin, 
though  more  care  must  be  exercised.  The  question 
of  gathering  dust,  then,  need  not  be  considered. 
Again,  to  one  who  is  sensitive  to  color,  these  soft 
tones  add  a  certain  quality  to  the  room,  without 
which  every  other  color  in  it  would  be  destroyed. 
The  white  glare  of  a  muslin  curtain  not  only  robs 
a  room  of  its  restfulness,  but  where  for  purposes 
of  privacy  a  muslin  is  a  necessity,  the  soft  over- 
hanging helps  you  to  treat  your  windows  and  your 
walls  as  one  harmonious  whole.  For  windows, 
when  arranged  for  privacy  and  not  for  a  view  out- 
side, really  become  part  of  your  wall-line  and 
color  ;  part  of  the  general  framing  of  your  interior, 
as  it  were.  To  have  your  wall-surface  broken  by 
a  series  of  glaring  white  windows  is  in  reality  to 
have  it  broken  by  a  series  of  unpleasant  patches. 
The  exigencies  of  modern  city  life,  where  narrow 
streets  and  ugly  exteriors  prevail,  demand  a  different 
treatment  for  the  window  from  that  which  ruled  in 
old  palaces,  or  from  that  which  might  hold  good  in 
country  estates,  where  uncurtained  windows  are  a 
refreshment  and  a  delight.  My  reasons  for  the 
two  thin  draperies,  then,  is  that  even  a  sheer,  thin 
silk  against  the  panes  gives  from  outside  an  impres- 
sion of  heaviness.  It  conveys  no  impression  of 
transparency  to  those  on  the  street,  but  looks  like 
an  opaque  hanging.  From  the  inside  of  the 
room  this  impression  disappears,  and  the  outline  of 

282 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


the  muslin  curtain  against  the  panes  is  clearly  visible 
through  the  transparent  silk. 

Leaded  glass  serves  an  excellent  purpose,  not 
only  where  a  question  of  privacy  is  to  be  considered, 
but  where  there  is  an  ugly  outlook  to  be  concealed. 
It  is  more  expensive  than  muslin  or  silk,  and  also, 
in  certain  places,  more  interesting.  Where  large 
windows  are  a  necessity,  these  leaded  panes,  admit- 
ting the  light,  are  better  from  an  architectural  point 

of  view,  and  will 
serve  also  to  render 
outside  objects  into 
mere  suggestions 
and  outlines,  rob- 
bing them  of  many 
of  their  unpleasant 
features.  When, 
however,  the  win- 
dow opens  against 
an  opposite  wall,  as 
it  must  in  the  halls  of  some  city  houses,  or  in  libra- 
ries or  rooms  built  in  "  L's,"  and  this  wall  is  of  a 
hue  which,  when  reflected  in  your  room,  will  destroy 
your  own  effects,  a  careful  choice  must  be  made  of 
the  material,  and  especially  of  the  tone  to  be  used 
in  your  leaded  glass.  This  careful  choice  is  espe- 
cially urged  upon  those  dwelling  in  apartments, 
where  all  the  windows  are  on  a  level,  the  corner  one 
having  no  opposite  wall  to  consider,  while  one  in 
the  middle  room  may  open  directly  on  the  objec- 
tionable color.  If,  for  instance,  you  desire  a  yellow 

283 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

tone  in  your  glass,  and  the  opposite  wall  shows  a 
dusty  red,  your  glass,  as  a  color,  may  be  thrown  all 
out  of  key.  It  is  necessary,  therefore,  not  only  to 
experiment  with  the  glass  in  the  shop,  holding  it  be- 
tween you  and  the  light,  but  to  experiment  with  it 
in  your  own  window,  placing  it  between  you  and 
the  offending  reflection.  This  method  of  choice  is 
especially  urged,  as  in  many  cases  a  window,  after 
being  placed,  will  have  to  be  removed  for  a  better 
one,  because  of  these  unforeseen  complications. 

It  should  go  without  saying  that  when  I  refer  to 
the  question  of  color  or  of  tone  in  leaded  glass,  cheap 
stained  glass  —  the  so-called  "  art  glass  "  of  com- 
merce —  is  not  referred  to.  This  glass  is  a  constant 
snare  to  many  an  inexperienced  but  ambitious  house 
builder.  It  should  be  avoided  like  a  pestilence. 

Artists  will  often  make  use  of  the  brush  on  a 
window  from  which  a  view  is  unpleasant.  In  the 
illustrations  on  page  1 83,  two  interesting  examples 
are  shewn.  The  window  over  the  sideboard  di- 
rectly faces  a  neighbor's  inquisitive  panes.  The 
colors  used  in  this  instance  by  the  artist  are  soft 
yellows  and  browns.  On  the  shelf  which  has  been 
made  to  run  across  the  sash,  some  Spanish  jugs 
holding  small  plants  are  generally  placed.  Some- 
times a  fish-bowl  holding  cut  flowers  is  placed  there 
instead,  producing  exquisite  effects  in  color  and  light. 
In  the  other  illustration  the  window  has  been  treated 
not  only  with  bull's-eyes,  but  with  flowers  and  a  coat 
of  arms.  This  window  also  faces  a  near-by  neigh- 
bor. Sometimes  such  a  window  is  merely  treated 

284 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

with  a  varnish  of  Venetian  pink,  giving  a  soft  yellow 
tone. 

In  all  old  brick  and  stone  houses  of  the  conven- 
tional kind,  with  parlor  and  dining-room  opening 
out  of  each  other,  the  effect  produced  is  of  a  long 
and  narrow  gallery  lighted  by  windows  at  either  end. 
You  can  never  escape  the  feeling  of  these  windows 
whichever  way  you  look.  Draperies  that  are  made 
to  fall  straight  over  them  are  never  interesting, 
however  fine  their  texture,  since  they  come  at  the 
end  of  the  visual  line,  as  it  were.  As  a  view  of  a 
city  back  yard  is  seldom  or  never  good,  the  windows 
themselves  should  be  made  so.  This  has  some- 
times been  done  by  putting  a  ground  glass  in  the 
dining-room  window,  hanging  from  the  middle 
sashes  transparent  coats  of  arms  in  glass.  An  iron 
grill  is  drawn  across  the  window,  its  figure  outlined 
against  the  glass. 

Sometimes  one  of  these  dining-room  windows  will 
face  a  church  wall  that  is  pretty  enough  in  the 
spring  and  summer  when  the  vine  which  covers  it 
is  green.  But  in  winter  this  wall,  dull  in  tone  and 
ugly,  becomes  almost  an  aggressive  feature  in  the 
dining-room.  The  other  window  will  have  been 
transformed  into  a  door  leading  to  the  butler's 
pantry.  In  such  an  instance  both  the  glass  door 
leading  into  the  butler's  pantry  and  the  window 
looking  on  the  church  should  be  curtained  alike. 
Since  there  is  no  question  of  sky  to  consider,  the 
curtains  should  fall  in  a  single  piece  from  the  top  of 
the  sash,  so  fashioned  with  little  strings  run  through 

285 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 

rings  that  they  can  be  drawn  up  to  a  certain  height, 
a  space  being  left  below.  This  space  in  the  win- 
dow toward  the  church  should  then  in  winter 
be  filled  with  evergreens  in  boxes,  so  that  as  one 
looks  from  the  other  room  or  from  the  table,  one 
would  get  the  impression  of  growing  plants  outside. 
The  curtain  over  the  glass  door  leading  into  the  pan- 
try should  be  drawn  to  the  same  height  as  that 
in  the  window,  in  order  that  the  butler  may  move 
in  and  out  under  it  without  inconvenience.  A 
screen  (a  necessity  in  itself),  when  placed  by  this 
door,  conceals  the  fact  of  this  being  only  a  door, 
and  not  a  window  with  plants  on  its  sill,  like  the 
other. 

When  one  of  these  old-fashioned  dining-rooms 
opens  into  a  glass-enclosed  porch,  like  those  com- 
mon to  many  houses  in  New  York,  the  dining- 
room  curtains  should  not  be  made  to  fall  over  the 
windows  or  glass  doors  leading  to  it.  They  should 
be  so  hung  that  they  are  preserved  as  openings  on 
to  the  porch,  the  porch  itself  not  being  treated  as 
an  excrescence  to  the  house,  not  being  made  hideous 
as  a  pantry  maid's  catch-all,  but  an  agreeable  addi- 
tion to  the  room  itself.  This  can  be  done  by  setting 
plants  out  on  the  porch,  or  by  hanging  thin  curtains 
against  the  glass  which  encloses  it,  making  that  glass 
and  its  draperies,  or  the  plants  arranged  against  it,  the 
objective  point  in  the  room,  and  not  the  doors  or 
windows  leading  on  to  the  porch.  One  of  these 
old  glass-enclosed  porches  becomes,  when  treated 
in  this  way,  a  charming  addition  to  your  house, 

286 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

agreeable  to  the  eye  in  winter,  and  delightful  as  a 
lounging  place  when  the  days  grow  warm. 

The  question  being  of  such  importance,  I  can 
hardly  err,  I  think,  in  urging  still  more  strongly 
that,  while  still  preserving  the  utilitarian  value  of 
windows  for  ventilating  and  light-giving  purposes, 
they  should  be  made  as  restful  and  agreeable  as  the 
walls  which  enclose  us.  To  accomplish  such  a  re- 
sult the  householder  must,  even  after  the  architect 
has  finished,  consider  the 
question  from  many  points 
of  view.  The  locality  and 
environment  of  the  window 
must  be  taken  into  consid- 
eration —  whatever  of  out- 
look you  may  wish  to  bring 
into  your  room,  and  that 
which  you  may  wish  to  ex- 
clude from  it.  Then,  again, 
there  are  the  approaches  in 
the  room  itself,  the  near-by 
objects,  the  pieces  of  furniture,  the  color  and  dec- 
oration of  the  walls,  the  color  and  character  of  the 
expanse  outside.  In  cities,  as  we  have  seen,  it  is 
frequently  necessary  to  exclude  every  outside  ob- 
ject, making  our  windows  part  of  a  general  frame- 
work in  which  we  are  housed.  The  particular 
problem  which  confronts  the  householder,  then,  be- 
comes one  of  tones  and  lights  of  agreeable  shades, 
that  must  harmonize  not  only  with  the  colors  of 
the  room,  making  the  interior  with  its  surrounding 

287 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

walls  and  doors  one  composite  whole,  every  part 
blending  yet  balancing  with  the  other,  but  produc- 
ing as  well  a  restful  impression  upon  those  looking 
toward  the  light.  When,  however,  the  expanse 
outside  is  interesting,  when  you  want  to  live  with  it, 
as  it  were,  then  that  expanse  must  be  considered  in 
relation  to  what  we  make  of  the  foreground  ;  in 
other  words,  the  room  in  which  we  sit  when  regard- 
ing the  expanse  before  us.  Country  and  town 
houses,  then,  present  altogether  different  problems 
with  their  windows.  Perhaps  the  best  way  of  ex- 
plaining what  some  of  these  problems  are  is  to  give 
examples  in  which  they  have  been  successfully 
overcome. 

One  room,  built  by  a  celebrated  architect,  directly 
faces  a  square  filled  with  trees  and  grass.  The  room 
is  all  green  and  dull  gold.  The  Venetian  ceiling  is 
raftered  and  inlaid  with  painted  panels,  taking  up  the 
tones  of  tapestries  hung  on  the  walls  over  burlaps  that 
has  been  treated  with  a  dull  gold  wash.  The  win- 
dow itself,  a  square  bay,  some  twenty  feet  long  and 
six  feet  deep,  is  entirely  filled  with  rubber-trees,  but 
the  framework  and  sashes  have  been  treated  with 
the  same  gold  and  green  that  appears  in  every  other 
part  of  the  room,  so  that  one  who  looks  towards  it 
experiences  no  shock,  but  is  conscious  of  having  had 
the  eye  led  by  agreeable  gradations  toward  the  high- 
est light  in  the  room.  This  effect  could  never  have 
been  attained  had  the  window  not  been  treated  with 
the  soft  tones  prevailing  in  the  rest  of  the  room. 
Green  alone,  or  gold  alone,  would  have  spoiled  it, 

288 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  the  absence  of  the  rubber-trees  would  have  left 
you  with  a  sense  of  loss  and  possible  harshness. 
The  soft  cream  tones  of  the  tapestries  are  repeated 
again  in  the  thin  cream  curtains  that  hang  against 
the  panes.  There  are  no  heavy  draperies. 

The  same  tact  has  been  shown  in  the  treatment 
of  the  windows  of  a  Fifth  Avenue  apartment  house. 
This  apartment  is  on  the  tenth  floor  and  overlooks 
a  mile  or  more  of  ugly  roofs  and  chimney-pots  end- 
ing at  the  river,  a  great  stretch  of  sky  overhead. 
The  sills  outside  have  been  filled  with  boxes  of  ever- 
greens and  ivies,  so  that  if  you  are  standing  in  the 
room  you  see  nothing  of  the  ugly  roofs  and  chimneys 
below.  Curtains  of  a  soft  cream  tone  are  hung  from 
the  upper  casing  to  fall  over  the  sash,  but  are  drawn 
up  on  cords  run  through  rings  so  as  to  form  a  straight 
line  across  the  window  some  twelve  or  more  inches 
above  the  evergreens.  In  this  way  any  one  sitting 
in  the  room  can  look  up  and  see  only  a  foreground 
of  green  against  the  blue  of  a  western  sky,  the  scal- 
loped lace  line  of  the  soft  curtain  forming  part  of 
the  frame  to  a  lovely  picture.  There  is,  of  course, 
with  this  arrangement,  no  glare  from  the  sky,  and 
the  tact  of  the  hostess  has  been  proved  by  the  way 
in  which  her  windows  have  been  made  agreeable  to 
those  who  are  in  her  drawing-rooms. 

I  know  a  man  of  letters  who  loves  a  certain  maple- 
tree  growing  in  his  garden.  Through  all  seasons 
this  tree  is  a  delight.  In  winter  its  architecture 
fascinates  him,  in  the  spring  its  delicate  foliage,  in 
summer  its  shade,  and  in  the  autumn  its  flame  of 
19  289 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


crimson  and  gold.  No  window  broken  into  panes 
would  give  him  all  this  tree,  so  he  has  had  plate-glass 
run  to  the  floor  and  his  door  transformed  into  a 
window.  His  writing-table  is  so  placed  that  as  he 
is  at  work,  he  has  the  feeling  of  being  out  of  doors 
and  with  his  tree. 

A  pine-tree,  much  loved  by  its  mistress,  was  brought 

into  her  hall  in  the 
following  way.  At 
the  end  of  the  hall 
she  built  her  win- 
dow of  plate-glass 
some  six  feet  from 
the  floor.  The 
branches  of  the 
pine  then  nearly 
touched  the  pane, 
the  woods  stretch- 
ing back  of  the 
pine.  Not  to  allow 
the  sense  of  the  tree  as  a  feature  of  the  hall  to 
throw  the  rest  of  the  hall  out  of  key,  a  Florentine 
fountain  was  placed  in  the  wall  just  under  the  win- 
dow. The  water  from  its  spout  fell  into  a  shallow 
marble  basin  some  three  feet  wide  and  seven  feet 
long,  and  set  in  the  floor.  Aquatic  plants  grew  in 
this  basin,  ferns  and  green  vines  rilled  the  little 
marble  niches  by  the  water-spout,  so  that  the  entire 
end  of  the  hall  was  made  green  by  growing  plants 
and  melodious  with  running  water,  the  pine-tree 
outside  being  only  part  of  the  general  construction, 

290 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  the  prevailing  sentiment,  which  is  perhaps  a  bet- 
ter way  of  putting  it. 

An  acre  of  oak-trees  has  been  considered  in  still 
another  manner  by  the  owner  of  a  country  house. 
Her  library  window  is  a  square  bay  sixteen  feet  by 
two.  A  writing-table  of  large  dimensions  is  placed 
in  front  of  this  window,  a  table  so  big  that  two 
persons  can  write  there  comfortably,  and  a  row  of 
books  can  fill  either  end.  Along  the  edge  of  this 
table,  nearest  the  window,  brass  and  porcelain  pots 
filled  with  plants  are  set,  so  that  if  you  are  sitting 
at  the  table,  you  can  look  up  from  your  portfolio 
across  the  foreground  of  growing  plants  to  the 
woods  beyond.  As  the  character  of  the  woods 
change  with  the  different  seasons,  the  plants  are 
changed.  The  beauty  of  this  library  window  in 
autumn,  when  the  oak-leaves  are  brown,  is  impossi- 
ble to  describe.  Then  the  lady  of  the  house  fills  her 
brass  and  copper  pots  on  the  table  with  chrysan- 
themums, —  yellow  and  brown  and  russet  chrysan- 
themums,—  which,  against  the  oak- trees  just  beyond, 
are  indescribable  in  their  loveliness.  All  the  appoint- 
ments of  the  writing-table  are  of  brass.  Silver,  it 
need  hardly  be  said,  would  be  an  altogether  false  note 
on  that  table.  Shades  are  drawn  at  night,  but  there 
are  no  thin  draperies  of  any  kind :  none  are  needed. 

One  ingenious  young  woman  in  a  studio-building 
has  a  high  window  from  where  she  can  see  almost 
the  whole  of  New  York  stretched  below  her.  Under 
it  the  blundering  architect  placed  a  steam-heater. 
She  therefore  has  had  built  over  the  heater  a  high 

291 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 

seat  with  a  reading-desk  in  front.  Over  the  top  of 
the  window  a  shelf  is  run  for  holding  copper  and 
brass.  Here  she  sits  and  enjoys  the  sunsets,  or  the 
lights  of  the  city  at  night. 

In  another  instance,  a  dining-room  bay-window 
was  treated  in  this  way.  It  was  one  of  those  ugly 
bays  that  were  once  so  common  in  town,  and  which 
never  seemed  to  bear  any  relation  to  the  rest  of  the 
house.  The  landlord  would  make  no  alterations, 
but  the  tenant  put  a  wainscoting  all  round  her  room, 
carrying  it  round  the  jut  of  the  bay.  Here,  above 
the  wainscoting,  on  either  jut,  she  put  narrow  shelves, 
enclosing  them  with  leaded  glass  matching  in  design 
that  which  she  placed  in  her  windows.  The  shelves 
were  filled  with  her  Venetian  glass,  her  decanters, 
finger-bowls,  and  tumblers.  The  lower  part,  that 
which  was  made  by  the  continuation  of  the  wainscot- 
ing, was  transformed  into  a  closet  with  closed  doors. 
The  window-seats  were  cushioned  to  match  the 
covering  of  the  chairs. 


292 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


J% 


CHAPTER   XX 

WINDOWS  (continued] 

I  SOMETIMES  believe  that 
a  ruffled  dotted-muslin  curtain 
does  as  much  for  a  house 
as  a  tailor-made  dress  for 
a  woman.  It  always  has 
a  certain  air,  and  adapts 
itself  to  many  occasions. 
One  who  chooses  it  is 
\  safe,  and  when  one  is  in  doubt, 
a  dotted  muslin  is  always  to  be 
recommended.  And  it  is  aston- 
ishing how  often  such  a  doubt 
arises,  especially  among  those 
who  live  in  out  of  the  way 
country  places,  in  army  posts  or 
small  towns,  where  the  near-by 
shops  are  filled  with  materials 
declared  to  be  the  "  latest,"  but  which  are  in  reality 
but  the  stuffs  discarded  from  manufacturers,  or  from 
larger  retail  establishments  in  town. 

It  has  often  excited  in  me  something  akin  to 
compassion  when  samples  of  such  materials  have 
been  sent  to  me  by  housekeepers  in  remote  parts  of 

293 


Comm.a-n.dlqT 
«&" 

.^11 


ow 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  country.  They  have  been  so  hopeless,  so  hide- 
ous, so  altogether  impossible.  All  my  sympathy 
has  gone  out  to  the  deluded  woman  who  has  been 
tricked  by  a  mercantile  announcement  into  buying 
what  good  taste  has  never  approved,  but  upon  which 
she  has  been  led  to  believe  fashion  has  set  its  sanction- 
ing seal.  And  just  here  I  would  like  to  say  that  it 
seems  to  me  both  a  duty  and  an  obligation  for  those 
living  at  great  centres,  whether  as  manufacturers,  de- 
signers, or  newspaper  correspondents,  to  send  only 
the  best  into  outlying  districts,  since  that  which  is 
sent  seems  stamped  with  a  certain  authority  and  is 
accepted  as  such.  Being  bad,  it  can  only  act  as  a 
deteriorating  influence  upon  the  public  taste.  It 
may  seem  absurd  to  urge  that  a  stuff,  or  a  wall- 
hanging,  a  stair  carpet  or  a  table  cover,  may  exert 
an  educational  or  moral  -effect  upon  a  household  or 
a  community.  But  the  influence  is  not  to  be  denied. 
That  which  we  introduce  into  our  houses  affects  us 
each  day  that  we  live,  drags  us  down  to  a  certain 
level,  or  raises  us.  We  cannot  escape  the  power  of 
it.  We  are  hampered  or  assisted,  as  by  the  fit  and 
cut  of  our  clothes.  The  effect  indeed  is  stronger 
and  therefore  worse,  for  clothes  wear  out  more  quickly 
than  furniture.  And  habit  and  custom  end  by  rec- 
onciling us  to  the  objectionable,  so  that  by  and  by 
we  find  ourselves  building  up  around  the  obnoxious 
feature.  I  have  known  this  to  happen  with  a  pair 
of  red  plush  curtains,  costly  enough  but  ugly,  which 
a  woman  of  my  acquaintance  felt  bound  to  use,  and 
around  which  eventually  she  built  her  entire  house, 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  its  ultimate  destruction  as  a  place  of  beauty  or 
repose. 

As  it  is  now  the  custom  to  curtain  all  the  windows 
of  one's  house  alike,  so  that  they  present  a  uniform 
appearance  from  the  street,  this  dotted  muslin  cannot 
but  add  a  note  of  refinement  to  one's  dwelling.  If 
such  curtains  introduce  too  white  a  light  into  the 
room,  the  sheer  transparent  silk,  or  a  silkoline,  already 
referred  to,  can  be  made  to  fall  over  them,  softening 
the  glare.  The  monotony  of  the  exterior  produced 
by  this  uniform  appearance  can  always  be  relieved 
by  a  green  or  flowering  plant  in  the  different  win- 
dows, or  again  by  window-boxes  on  the  sill  outside, 
filled  with  flowering  plants  in  summer  and  evergreens 
in  winter.  One  well-known  house  in  town  has  for 
years  followed  the  same  fashion  for  its  thin  curtains, 
which  are  never  made  to  cover  all  the  sash.  They 
are  alike  in  all  the  windows,  —  ruffled,  then  crossed, 
and  looped  high.  This  leaves  the  greater  part  of 
the  window  exposed,  where  the  curtains  fall  away  on 
either  side,  and  the  bare  and  awkward  space  across 
the  top  is  avoided.  A  study  of  the  individual  win- 
dows reveals  the  fact  that  in  each  room  there  is  a 
different  hanging,  —  blue  satin  in  a  bedroom,  yellow 
in  the  drawing-room.  In  one  window  you  catch 
the  outlines  of  a  sumptuous  Venetian  chair.  You 
realize  then  that  individuality  reigns  within. 

There  is  a  white  grenadine  which  washes  and 
makes  a  good  thin  curtain.  There  are  point  d'es- 
prits,  and  a  material  known  as  fish-net.  Therevare 
also  any  number  of  materials,  both  plain  and  figured, 

29S 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ranging  in  price  from  six  cents  a  yard  to  as  many 
dollars.  In  certain  country  houses,  in  young  girl's 
rooms,  in  the  cabins  of  Adirondack  camps,  these 
cheap  flowered  materials,  when  good  in  color,  are 
most  effective,  especially  when  ruffled  or  edged  with 
a  fringe  of  little  balls.  They  may  be  used  at  the 
same  time  in  trimming  the  bed.  You  must  choose 
thin,  transparent  materials,  unless,  of  course,  you 
want  complete  seclusion,  the  sense  of  it  which  an 
opaque  shade  would  give  you,  not  only  shutting 
you  in,  but  shutting  out  the  very  feeling  of  the  street 
—  sometimes  a  necessity  in  New  York.  Generally 
speaking,  these  thin  curtains  should  have  a  large 
mesh  and  incline  toward  the  cream  tones,  unless 
softened  inside.  A  pure  white  curtain  should  not 
be  used  in  a  room  where  the  wood-work  is  dark 
and  the  contrast  therefore  too  strong. 

I  know  a  charming  country-house  window  with 
white  casings.  (The  wood-work  of  the  whole  house, 
except  that  of  the  oak  library,  is  white.)  This  par- 
ticular window  is  at  the  end  of  a  long  room  and  looks 
directly  into  the  branches  of  a  maple-tree.  The 
panes  are  small,  and  the  model  followed  was  found 
in  one  of  Mr.  E.  A.  Abbey's  pictures.  There  are 
two  parts  to  the  window,  and  the  upper  part  is 
narrow  and  divided  from  the  lower,  which  is  twice 
its  depth,  by  a  broad  beam  which  forms  a  shelf, 
set  out  at  regular  intervals  with  pots  of  geraniums 
in  bloom.  The  lower  part  alone  is  curtained,  and 
with  white  China  silk,  cut  after  a  fashion  called 
Morris.  This  means  that  there  are  two  pieces  of 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

silk,  falling  on  either  side,  and  that  a  ruffle  runs 
along  the  top,  breaking  the  awkward  space  between 
and  making  a  frame  for  the  panes,  and  for  the  view 
seen  through  them. 

In  windows  of  apartments,  too  high  up  from  the 
street  to  pay  heed  to  the  eye  of  an  opposite  neigh- 
bor, where  consequently  no  thin  curtains  are  a  neces- 
sity (and  what  a  relief  it  is  at  times  to  be  without 
them  !),  thick  curtains  may  be  cut  Morris  fashion. 
This  serves  an  excellent  purpose,  especially  when 
the  wood-work  is  bad,  since  it  makes  an  agreeable 
frame  for  the  window.  Almost  any  thick  curtain 
may  be  cut  in  this  way.  I  have  seen  denin,  at  six- 
teen cents  a  yard,  made  most  effective  when  treated 
after  this  fashion.  When  the  ruffle  is  run  on  a 
separate  rod,  the  side  pieces  can  be  drawn  under  it 
at  night.  This  upper  ruffle  serves  in  many  cases 
to  keep  off  the  glare  of  the  sky. 

Cheese-cloth,  when  fine,  is  not  to  be  despised  when 
you  have  a  cheap  country  house  to  be  made  habit- 
able, and  the  landlord  has  inclined  in  his  choice  of 
stuffs  to  heavy  woollens.  The  woollens  should  be 
hidden  at  once  in  an  upstairs  closet.  The  most 
charming  summer  parlor  that  I  know  is  at  Bar 
Harbor.  The  white  curtains  are  all  looped  back 
with  great  bows  of  pink  cheese-cloth. 

Much  depends  on  the  looping  of  a  curtain.  An 
abominable  fashion  prevails  in  some  country  towns 
of  so  looping  and  straining  a  thin  curtain,  by  catch- 
ing it  back  on  the  sides  and  pulling  it  together  at 
the  bottom,  that  a  diamond-shaped  opening  is  left, 

297 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

an  opening  so  low  down  that  you  would  have  to 
break  your  back  to  look  through  it,  and  so  small, 
that  all  opening  and  shutting  of  the  window,  all 
washing  of  the  panes,  would  be  impossible.  Yet 
you  know  that  the  householder  has  expended  con- 
siderable labor  on  it,  and  that  she  prides  herself  on 
the  result !  She  betrays  herself,  however,  by  not 
knowing  that  a  curtain  which  cannot  be  readily  pushed 
aside  altogether  misses  its  purpose.  It  might  as 
well  then  be  an  iron  grating.  It  certainly  is  not  a 
curtain.  When  an  arrangement  so  stiff  and  immov- 
able is  desired,  a  grill  is  suggested,  not  a  curtain, 
—  the  fashion  of  the  Orientals  where  women  can 
only  look  into  the  street  through  a  lattice.  Any 
book  on  the  Alhambra  will  give  one  the  designs. 
But  a  curtain  should  be  so  fashioned  that  it  can  be 
drawn  with  ease,  whatever  the  material,  and  the 
elaborately  upholstered  lambrequins  and  curtains 
of  many  houses  and  hotel  parlors  are  objectionable 
in  the  extreme.  Wood  and  metal  screens  must 
suggest  a  certain  inflexibility,  but  a  curtain  never 
should,  whatever  its  texture  and  whatever  its 
quality. 

Unless  the  sky  produces  an  unpleasant  glare  the 
aim  should  always  be  to  bring  it  into  the  room  ;  but 
it  was  only  after  much  study  that  I  found  out  how 
to  accomplish  this  in  windows  so  near  those  of 
opposite  neighbors  that  thin  curtains  were  a  neces- 
sity. To  cover  only  the  lower  half  of  a  window  was 
impossible,  since  the  fashion  always  suggests  vari- 
ous advertised  parlors  with  signs  in  their  windows. 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Finally  I  hit  upon  this  plan,  which  gives  me  the 
sun  or  the  stars  when  I  want  them.  The  curtains 
are  ruffled  down  one  side  and  across  the  bottom. 
A  double  row  of  stitching  two  inches  from  the  top 
holds  the  small  brass  rod,  and  leaves  a  heading, 
which,  when  the  curtain  is  fulled  on  the  rod,  looks 
like  a  ruffle.  Just  in  the  centre  of  the  window- 
frame,  these  curtains  are  crossed.  I  allow  a  lap  of 
ten  inches  on  either  side,  but  the  size  of  the  window 
must  control  this  in  individual  cases.  A  band  of 
the  same  material,  or  a  ribbon  (preferably  a  band), 
tacked  in  the  corners  of  the  frame,  loops  the  cur- 
tains on  either  side  at  whatever  angle  is  desired, 
the  rest  of  the  curtain  falling  in  graceful  lines. 
Privacy  can  then  be  secured  by  plants  on  the  sill, 
which  fill  up  the  lower  part  of  the  window  and  leave 
the  upper  part  free.  Or,  the  thin  over-hanging 
already  referred  to  can  be  used,  and  drawn  over 
the  others  when  a  special  sense  of  security  is  de- 
sired. Instead  of  the  brass  rod,  small  brass-headed 
tacks  can  be  used  to  fasten  the  curtains  on  the  win- 
dow-frame, but  this  can  only  be  done  in  parts  of 
the  country  where  dust  does  not  prevail,  as  in  cer- 
tain summer  cottages  in  the  woods  where  a  curtain 
may  do  service  for  a  season  without  washing. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  there  are  an  endless 
number  of  thin  materials  used  for  covering  the  panes, 
and  that  they  are  often  so  costly  as  to  be  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  average  householder.  Sometimes  they 
are  of  lace,  sometimes  of  embroidered  silk.  A  new 
fashion  will  be  introduced  from  Paris,  adorn  for  a 

299 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

season  some  private  house,  and  then  be  found  in 
every  milliner's  window  or  in  the  parlors  of  fashion- 
able habit-makers.  They  become  impossible  for 
the  private  individual.  These  facts  make  it  impera- 
tive for  those  who  cannot  afford  to  discard  a  thing 
because  it  has  ceased  to  be  sufficiently  exclusive  to 
be  wary  of  committing  themselves  to  extremes.  It 
is  better  to  be  conservative  in  dress  and  furniture 
and  in  fashions  of  all  kinds,  unless  one  has  money 
enough  to  buy  the  best  of  the  changing  styles. 

Thin  curtains  are  generally  run  on  a  small  brass 
rod  with  a  heading.  The  rod  fastens  in  sockets  at 
the  side.  These  brass  rods  are  very  cheap.  When 
a  window  is  curved  at  the  top,  the  brass  rod  is  bent 
to  follow  the  curve  of  the  window-frame,  a  plan  in 
every  way  to  be  preferred  to  that  of  using  a  grill 
over  the  top  and  suspending  the  curtain  from  be- 
low. These  thin  curtains  should  on  no  account  be 
suspended  from  rings  and  curtain  pins  on  the  thick 
rod  intended  for  the  support  of  a  heavy  curtain. 
The  room  is  only  made  untidy  when  this  is  done. 
If  there  be  no  dust  to  consider,  as  in  the  woods, 
and  when  the  question  of  injuring  the  window-cas- 
ing does  not  arise,  the  thin  curtain  is  sometimes 
nailed  to  the  frame,  a  band  of  the  curtain  material 
being  tacked  over  the  gathers  with  brass-headed 
tacks  placed  at  regular  intervals.  The  heading  is 
left  above  the  band. 

The  ordinary  every-day  modern  house  needs  a 
heavy  curtain,  not  only  to  keep  off  the  draught, 
but  to  temper  the  light,  and  in  many  instances  to 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

soften  the  lines  of  ugly  wood-work.  When  a  house 
has  been  carefully  designed  by  some  architect,  and 
when  windows  have  been  built  as  they  should  be, 
and  as  they  are  in  certain  places,  curtains  cease  to 
be  a  necessity,  and  are  sometimes  impossible.  Only 
the  chosen  few,  however,  have  such  houses.  The 
rest  of  the  world  must  concern  itself  with  a  curtain. 
And  this  curtain  must  always  be  chosen,  strangely 
enough,  less  with  reference  to  the  window  which  it 
covers  than  to  the  wall  against  which  the  curtain  is 
to  be  hung.  Indeed,  not  only  the  wall  color,  but 
the  texture  of  the  wall-covering,  must  decide  the 
question  of  color  and  texture  for  the  curtain.  Man- 
ufacturers are  beginning  to  understand  this,  and  in 
the  larger  windows  of  Fifth  Avenue  one  sees  wall- 
papers and  curtains  hanging  side  by  side,  having 
been  designed  with  reference  to  each  other.  Some 
of  the  combinations  are  still  displeasing. 

It  is  difficult  to  lay  down  any  one  rule  for  the 
choosing  of  curtains,  but  generally  speaking,  when 
the  flowered  material  appears  on  the  wall,  a  plain 
material,  or  one  of  an  unobtrusive  design,  should 
appear  in  the  curtain,  except  in  certain  rooms  of  a 
particular  size,  like  those  of  old  English  inns 
where  curtains  and  wall-papers  are  exactly  alike. 
Ordinarily,  however,  this  combination  is  apt  to 
produce  an  impression  of  confusion.  The  flower 
or  figure  of  the  wall-paper  may,  however,  appear 
as  a  border  on  the  drapery  and  only  suggest  a  well 
thought  out  plan.  When  the  textile,  like  a  silk  or 
a  damask,  is  inconspicuous  in  design,  the  case  is 

301 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

altered,  and  a  room  may  be  made  interesting  by 
curtains  and  walls  and  even  furniture  alike,  the 
other  appointments  introduced  lending  variety  to 
what  might  otherwise  be  monotonous.  Many 
rooms  are  quite  spoiled  by  draperies  showing  flow- 
ers or  leaves  different  from  those  seen  on  the  wall, 
as  when  a  wall-paper  has  carnations  and  a  curtain  is 
covered  with  roses. 

The  color  and  texture  of  the  floor-covering  must 
also  be  considered  in  the  choice  of  the  curtain,  not 
only  because  a  cheap  covering  like  a  matting  would 
throw  a  rich  stuff  at  the  windows  out  of  key,  but 
because  the  curtain,  falling  to  the  floor  as  it  does, 
must  not  show  too  violent  a  contrast. 

In  the  bedrooms  of  country  houses  where  the 
wood-work  is  white,  and  where  there  are  awn- 
ings, window-boxes,  blinds,  or  thick  shades  for 
keeping  out  the  early  morning  light,  but  one  pair 
of  curtains  is  desirable,  and  those  may  be  of  white 
dotted  muslin,  white  dimity,  French  muslin,  or  a 
chintz  with  a  white  ground.  Old-fashioned  un- 
bleached cotton  with  a  ruffle  of  the  same  and  a 
band  of  color,  especially  of  Turkey  red,  is  not  bad 
as  a  curtain  in  simple  country-house  bedrooms,  nor 
are  white  dimity  curtains  trimmed  with  bands  of 
chintz  repeated  somewhere  else  in  the  room. 

If  the  groundwork  of  the  wall-paper  be  white, 
and  other  conditions  referred  to  prevail,  these  white 
curtains  are  charming.  Now  and  then  the  wood- 
work is  dark,  requiring  a  paper  with  a  different 
ground ;  then  a  white  paper  becomes  harsh.  What- 

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HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ever  its  color  or  quality,  however,  it  must  be  made 
of  a  stuff  that  can  be  laundered.  A  woollen  curtain 
in  any  bedroom  is  an  abomination.  Again  and 
again,  however,  they  are  seen,  old  parlor  curtains 
being  sent  upstairs  as  they  grew  shabby,  or  to  fur- 
nish a  country  house  when  the  town  house  has  been 
renovated.  Rather  than  have  woollen  curtains  have 
none. 

When  for  the  sake  of  a  becoming  light  one 
wants  a  color  like  pink  at  the  window,  the  color  of 
the  cotton  or  chintz  should  be  chosen  with  refer- 
ence to  the  predominating  color  of  some  flower  on 
the  wall.  Or  again,  when  a  darker  effect  is  desired, 
the  color  of  a  stem  or  a  leaf  might  be  chosen  for 
that  of  the  curtain. 

The  effect  of  any  plain  curtain  can  be  relieved 
by  a  band  running  its  length,  on  which  is  repeated 
the  design  of  the  wall-paper ;  or  the  curtain  can  be 
trimmed  with  a  white  ball  fringe.  Simplicity  is  the 
aim,  and  the  suggestion  of  absolute  freshness  and 
daintiness ;  for  which  reason  a  ribbon  should  never 
appear  on  a  curtain  unless  a  fresh  ribbon  can  be  sup- 
plied whenever  the  old  one  is  rumpled.  White  cot- 
ton cords  and  tassels,  which  are  very  cheap,  come 
for  the  purpose,  and  are  always  in  order. 

When  the  other  windows  of  the  house  are  under 
consideration,  a  wider  range  of  choice  is  possible, 
although  there  can  never  be  any  escape  from  a 
question  of  the  walls  when  a  curtain  is  chosen. 

Parlors  in  a  country  house  may  have  almost  any 
material  in  them,  from  chintz  to  a  satin  brocade, 

303 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

depending  upon  the  locality,  the  requirements  of 
the  householder,  her  place  in  life,  and  the  purposes 
for  which  her  home  is  used,  —  whether  for  the 
giving  of  large  entertainments  or  as  a  place  of 
refuge  after  a  winter  in  town.  But  whatever  the 
circumstance,  woollen  hangings  are  to  be  shunned. 

Something  like  an  epidemic  of  chenille  curtains 
of  coarse  texture,  with  an  upper  and  a  lower  border 
and  a  fringe,  swept  over  this  country  once,  and  like 
the  brown  stone  fronts  and  high  stoops,  might  have 
been  with  us  yet  had  the  material  been  as  enduring. 
Now  women  are  succumbing  to  a  very  pestilence 
of  cheap  and  gaudy  imitation  brocades,  flowered 
and  figured  stuffs,  which  the  shopman  tells  them  is 
"  about  as  elegant  as  anything  he  knows,"  but  which 
can  never  be  found  in  houses  of  refinement.  A 
plain  denim,  costing  but  sixteen  cents  a  yard,  is 
always  to  be  urged  upon  those  who  find  themselves 
tempted  with  any  of  these  flashy  materials  which, 
like  imitation  jewelry,  marks  them  as  beyond  the 
pale. 

Velveteens  are  charming  for  curtains  because  of 
the  delightful  way  in  which  they  take  up  the  light, 
and  the  still  more  delightful  way  in  which  they  fade 
into  tones.  Corduroy  is  desirable  for  the  same  rea- 
son, and  has  the  advantage  of  showing  no  spots. 
Water  does  not  injure  it.  The  dyes  of  corduroys  are 
apt  to  be  excellent.  Silk  taffeta  is  always  interesting, 
and  when  trimmed  with  a  gimp  braid,  or  a  flowered 
border  which  comes  for  the  purpose,  it  adds  im- 
mensely to  the  distinction  of  most  rooms.  Velvet 

3°4 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  satin  brocades,  figured  satins  and  tapestries,  are 
only  possible  to  those  who  can  pay  high  prices,  and 
only  proper  to  those  who  have  an  environment 
suited  to  rich  stuffs.  They  would  never  do  with 
matting,  for  instance,  or  with  the  hideous  varnished 
yellow  oak  of  commerce.  At  the  same  time, 
whether  one  chooses  a  rich  stuff  or  a  cheap  one, 
one  cannot  escape  from  the  same  problem.  The 
walls,  the  floors,  and  the  hangings  must  be  har- 
monized, whether  one  pays  forty  dollars  a  yard  for 
a  brocade  or  sixteen  cents  for  a  denim. 

The  costly  material  only  represents  greater  privi- 
leges in  the  way  of  buying.  The  fundamentals  of 
harmony,  appropriateness,  repose,  and  color,  can- 
not be  violated  and  the  results  remain  good.  The 
same  rule  prevails  everywhere  throughout  a  house 
—  throughout  life,  I  might  say. 

The  thick  curtains  are  generally  suspended  from 
wood  or  brass  rods  of  various  sizes  ;  the  old-fashioned 
heavy  brass  cornice  on  which  curtains  were  tacked 
when  some  of  us  were  children  are  never  seen  in 
these  days.  Now  and  then  a  lambrequin  is  made, 
but  it  must  be  plain  and  show  no  loopings.  Loop- 
ings  for  the  most  part  are  dangerous.  Only  the 
hand  of  an  artist  should  be  employed.  When  soft 
silks  and  old  stuffs  are  used  as  hangings  they  are 
sometimes  simply  but  effectively  looped  over  rods 
shaped  like  arrows. 

It  is  only  within  a  comparatively  few  number  of 
years  that  awnings  have  become  a  common  fea- 
ture in  town  and  country  houses,  and  a  still  fewer 
20  3°5 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

number  since  their  colors  have  been  carefully 
studied.  It  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  that  a 
rich  woman  of  taste,  who  knew  what  she  wanted, 
persuaded  a  manufacturer  to  make  her  awnings  all 
green.  Red  and  white  or  blue  and  white  used 
to  be  the  prevailing  tones,  but  as  awnings  must 
be  seen  from  the  inside  as  well  as  from  the  outside, 
the  color  which  they  throw  into  a  room  is  of  para- 
mount importance.  Blue  and  white  will  absolutely 
destroy  certain  apartments,  tempting  the  mistress 
to  any  number  of  experiments  and  extra  curtains 
to  get  rid  of  its  disastrous  effect.  One  should 
experiment  with  a  material  from  both  the  inside  and 
the  outside  of  the  house  before  committing  one's 
self  to  a  purchase.  Green  is  so  suggestive  of  cool 
and  refreshment  in  summer  that  it  would  always 
tempt  me.  Besides,  the  flowers  in  the  window- 
boxes  are  to  be  considered,  and  whatever  the  blos- 
som, green  is  its  natural  accompaniment.  Red, 
though  well  enough  from  the  outside,  suggests  no 
coolness  within. 

The  charm  of  a  window-box  can  only  be  under- 
stood by  a  genuine  lover  of  flowers.  The  desire  to 
bring  growing  flowers  into  a  house  is  instinctive  in 
almost  all  races,  and  one  has  only  to  read  old  poems 
and  study  old  pictures  to  see  for  how  long  the 
instinct  has  ruled.  One  gets  into  a  very  close  and 
intimate  relationship  with  flowers  on  one's  sills. 
They  are  nearer  to  one  in  feeling  even  than  the 
flowers  of  a  garden.  They  are  so  companionable, 
asking  nothing  but  a  little  water  and  a  little  sun- 

306 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

shine,  bringing  only  loveliness  into  our  lives  in  re- 
turn. When  New  York  streets  are  insufferable, 
and  the  glare  from  the  pavement  is  blinding,  and  a 
scorching,  dust-laden  heat  blows  in  at  the  window, 
a  row  of  geraniums  in  blossom,  set  out  in  a  box  on 
your  sills,  the  thick  green  of  its  foliage  between  you 
and  the  street,  and  the  cool  green  of  the  awning 
between  you  and  the  sky !  Even  the  horrors  of 
ninety-eight  in  the  shade  grow  less.  In  eternal 
defiance  of  ugliness  these  flowers  bloom  on,  and 
you  are  consoled  for  your  own  discomfort  as  you 
look  at  them,  catching  the  delicate  lights  and  shad- 
ows on  the  leaves,  and  finding  a  comfort  and  solace 
in  their  beauty  which  some  mortals  miss  even  in 
the  woods. 

Evergreens  in  winter  are  almost  as  much  of  a 
delight,  and  it  is  not  the  least  interesting  sign 
of  a  growing  public  taste  to  see  these  evergreens 
increasing  in  numbers  about  the  doorways  and 
windows  of  town ;  and  to  see  too  the  skill  with 
which  they  are  arranged  from  year  to  year,  so 
placed,  for  instance,  that  the  highest  plants  are  on 
the  sides,  where  they  make  no  obstruction  for  the 
view. 


307 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 
CHAPTER   XXI 

THE    FLOORS 

NEXT  to  the  treatment  of  the  walls,  the  treat- 
ment of  the  floor  is  the  most  important 
factor  in  the  furnishing  of  a  room,  and  two  great 
principles  of  decoration  are  involved  in  the  selection 
of  its  covering  —  the  questions  of  harmony  and  of 
contrast.  The  effect  produced  should  be  subjective 
and  yet  dominant,  softening  or  intensifying  the 
suggestion  made  by  the  walls.  The  ordinary  cheap 
carpet  of  commerce,  with  bunches  of  flowers  or 
impossible  figures  scattered  over  a  background  of 
brilliant  red,  green,  or  blue,  renders  any  further 
effort  in  a  room  hopeless.  The  effect  it  produces 
on  the  senses  is  almost  as  aggressive  as  that  of  a  dog 
that  jumps,  barking  at  you,  when  the  door  is  opened. 

In  smaller  rooms,  as  a  rule,  the  floor-covering 
should  be  unobtrusive.  In  English  basement  houses 
also,  a  certain  sense  of  amplitude  is  achieved  by 
having  the  room  by  the  front  door,  the  narrow  hall 
which  leads  to  the  dining-room  in  the  rear,  and  the 
stairs,  all  covered  by  the  same  color.  It  entices 
the  eye,  and  leads  it  away  from  the  walls,  so  that 
the  size  of  the  interior,  if  restricted,  is  forgotten. 

Although  the  tendency  of  the  day  is  away  from 
carpets  and  toward  the  use  of  bare  floors  and  rugs, 
there  are  certain  houses  in  which  carpets  will  always 

308 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

be  found,  because  of  the  draughts  about  the  bottom 
of  long  windows,  or  the  cold  which  comes  up 
through  the  cracks  and  chills  the  feet,  and  also 
because  even  in  the  treatment  of  the  most  elaborate 
houses  certain  problems  are  not  to  be  solved  by  the 
use  of  foreign  or  domestic  pattern-articles. 

When  a  carpet  is  used  on  the  floor  of  a  living- 
room  or  drawing-room,  it  is  usually  of  a  plain 
color,  or  of  two  tones  evenly  and  softly  blended. 
The  design,  to  be  good,  should  be  inconspicuous. 
Ingrain  or  Brussels  fillings  are  often  used,  and  in 
the  more  expensive  imported  sorts  they  come 
woven  in  one  piece,  twelve,  fifteen,  or  even  eighteen 
feet  in  width,  making  a  seamless  and  very  effective 
background  for  the  rugs  that  may  be  thrown  over 
them.  Wilton  velvet  carpeting,  in  beautiful  soft 
tones,  with  or  without  a  border,  can  be  made  into 
excellent  floor-coverings  for  drawing-rooms,  and  is 
often  preferred  by  decorators  to  the  less  harmonious 
effects  of  the  woven  Eastern  rugs.  Where  several 
rooms  open  out  of  each  other,  however,  the  length 
of  space  must  be  considered.  In  the  front  and 
back  parlors  of  a  city  house,  for  instance  where  the 
sweep  of  the  floor-line  is  much  greater  than  its 
width,  their  length  should  be  broken  by  the  use  of 
rugs,  not  accentuated  by  an  expanse  of  plain  color. 
Otherwise  the  impression  produced  is  that  of  an 
alley  as  compared  to  a  field. 

The  edges  of  these  made  rugs  are  faced  with  a 
heavy  braid  or  carpet  binding.  They  are  not  apt 
to  wrinkle,  but  where  they  do  slip  under  the  feet, 

3°9 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


a  band  of  rubber  fastened  along  the  edges  will  hold 
them  in  place.  The  expensive  establishments  often 
have  hooks  in  sunken  brass  sockets  set  into  the 
floor,  to  which  the  rings  sewed  to  the  rug  are 
caught.  The  best  and  costliest  rugs,  however,  are 
never  fastened.  Many  of  them  are  of  almost  price- 
less value,  and  are  to  be  respected  like  the  pictures 
on  the  wall.  To  mar  them  with  a  nail  or  a  tack 
would  be  a  desecration. 

Were  it  possible,  much  space  might  be  devoted 
to  the  subject  of  these  rugs.  Any  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  them  lies  beyond  the  scope  of  the  present 
volume.  A  few  suggestions,  however,  can  be  made. 


Qr\  both.  Siqle 
an.4. 


stack    ota.'i^e    fiyg. 
ujo      «v£acL  1&>  double  bar.. 


are     oiuatat    rovrs 


310 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

When  a  woman  has  several  hundred  dollars  at 
her  disposal  to  expend  on  a  rug,  her  best  plan  is  to 
indulge  in  a  little  preliminary  study  of  the  question. 
There  are  several  valuable  and  well-illustrated  works 
devoted  to  the  subject  of  rugs,  and  if  she  can  go  to 
collectors  and  reliable  dealers,  and  learn  from  ex- 
amples on  the  spot,  so  much  the  better.  Those 
who  live  away  from  great  centres,  however,  cannot 
always  do  this,  and  unless  she  have  an  actual  prac- 
tical experience,  the  out-of-town  purchaser  will  do 
better  to  go  to  a  reliable  house,  rather  than  trust  to 
auctions  or  the  bargain  sales  that  are  as  so  many 
traps  for  her  destruction,  —  sales  where  genuine  old 
Persian  carpets  are  offered  her  for  a  comparative 
trifle,  when  the  real  antique  Persian  carpet  is  rarely 
to  be  had  except  by  the  most  favored  of  collectors, 
-  where,  too,  she  may  be  betrayed  into  the  purchase 
of  a  crooked,  ragged  article,  the  defects  of  which  are 
recommended  as  a  proof  of  its  genuineness.  There 
is  a  saying  among  the  Orientals,  that  as  even  Allah 
makes  mistakes,  the  man  who  should  produce  a 
rug  without  a  flaw  would  claim  preeminence  over 
Allah  and  thus  defy  and  dishonor  him.  A  charm- 
ing saying :  one  never  tires  of  hearing  it  retold  by 
persons  who  have  been  in  the  rug-shops  of  the 
East.  But  it  is  nearly  forgotten  by  those  who  offer 
us  the  exquisite,  nearly  perfect  productions  of  the 
best  looms.  The  flaws  of  the  very  beautiful,  the 
very  rare,  and  the  very  costly  are  not  so  obvious 
that  the  pointing  of  a  moral  in  regard  to  them  be- 
comes a  necessity.  In  many  of  the  shops  devoted 

311 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  the  sale  of  rugs,  however,  there  are  from  time  to 
time  stray  specimens  marked  down  below  their  mar- 
ket value,  reduced  because  of  some  necessity  of 
trade,  or  on  account  of  some  slight  imperfection 
quite  imperceptible  to  the  ordinary  glance  and  in- 
terfering neither  with  their  beauty  nor  their  dura- 
bility. Where  such  is  the  case,  the  buyer  of  limited 
income  should  by  all  means  take  advantage  of  the 
opportunity.  There  is  a  richness  of  design,  a  soft- 
ness of  color,  in  these  older  rugs  increasingly  hard 
to  find  in  those  of  recent  make. 

Wherever  the  influence  of  our  bustling  Western 
civilization  touches  the  art  of  the  Orient,  it  does  so 
to  its  detriment.  It  used  to  be  said  of  Japan,  years 
ago,  that  it  was  impossible  to  obtain  the  exact 
duplicate  of  an  article  purchased  there.  Each 
decoration,  being  the  product  of  the  artist's  inspira- 
tion of  the  moment,  could  not  be  repeated.  It  was 
not  until  tons  of  French  china  had  been  sent  into 
the  country  to  be  adorned  with  designs  exactly 
similar,  that  the  work  of  the  Japanese  decorators 
lost  the  touch  of  individuality  which  had  stamped 
it  as  the  work  of  the  artist  rather  than  of  the  artisan. 
The  latest  importations  of  Oriental  rugs  bear  the 
hall-mark  of  a  like  degeneracy  in  their  leaning 
toward  our  domestic  "  Smyrna  "  patterns,  and  the 
colors  resulting  from  the  use  of  the  hideous  aniline 
dyes  lately  introduced  into  the  factories  of  the  East. 
So  hopeless  has  been  the  effect  of  the  latter,  that 
one  house,  extensively  engaged  in  the  selling  of 
Oriental  carpets,  has  a  sheltered  tin  roof,  whereon 

312 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  worst  of  their  new  rugs  are  stretched  for  weeks 
at  a  time,  alternately  flooded  by  the  hose  and  baked 
by  the  sun,  in  the  effort  to  subdue  their  appalling 
harshness  of  tone.  It  is  safe  to  assert  that  exposure 
to  the  sun  and  rains  of  seasons  would  never  enable 
them  to  compare  with  the  soft  richness  of  the 
camel's  wool,  or  the  harmonious  hues  of  the  hand- 
made vegetable  dyes  of  former  years.  The  fact 
that  a  rug  is  of  Oriental  origin  no  longer  insures 
its  being  desirable,  nor  even  passable,  from  the 
artist's  standpoint. 

Some  compensation  for  this  state  of  affairs  is  to 
be  found  in  the  increased  excellence  of  our  domestic 
manufactures.  That  which  our  influence  has  de- 
stroyed in  the  workers  of  the  East,  we  have,  after 
our  progressive  Western  fashion,  in  a  measure  taken 
unto  ourselves.  Oriental  patterns,  Oriental  color- 
ings, imitated  as  nearly  as  may  be  by  our  crude, 
positive  chemical  dyes,  pervade  the  market.  A 
Bokhara  carpet,  worth  its  weight  in  gold,  full  of 
soft  darknesses  and  silvery  lights,  teeming  with 
suggestions  of  the  Orient,  gritty,  it  may  be,  with 
the  very  sand  of  the  great  Sahara  itself,  has  its 
counterpart  in  a  fuzzy,  forty  dollar  maroon  "velvet " 
production  from  —  Lynn  !  And  the  salesman  who 
shows  you  this  commercial  chromo  will  probably 
pause  beside  it  expectantly,  saying,  "  Now  this, 
this  is  a  Bokhara  pattern  —  the  latest  thing  —  very 
much  admired :  we  sell  lots  of  them,"  and  be  dis- 
appointed if  you  don't  admire  it.  What  is  one  to 
say  ?  What  can  one  say  ?  It  is  not  possible  to 

313 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 

make  this  bustling  showman  —  educated  only  to  the 
needs  of  his  trade  —  understand  that  the  qualities 
which  made  the  beauty  and  value  of  the  original 
article  are  wanting.  One  can  only  turn  away  si- 
lent, realizing  that  the  perception  of  artistic  values, 
like  all  other  education,  must  be  the  result  of  the 
process  of  evolution  ;  comforting  one's  self,  too,  with 
the  thought  that  this  first  apparently  hopeless 
imitation  may  be  the  result  of  that  blind  groping 
for  light  which  shall  later  "  climb  to  a  soul  in  grass 
and  flowers." 

One  last  word  as  to  the  place  of  the  floor-cover- 
ing before  we  turn  to  the  more  practical  subject  of 
the  floors  themselves.  One  of  the  most  important 
factors  in  the  question  of  decoration  is  the  law  of 
contrast.  In  the  furnishing  of  a  room  the  treat- 
ment of  the  walls  determines  more  than  anything 
what  its  future  atmosphere  is  to  be,  —  whether  it 
shall  be  cool  and  reserved,  as  in  a  drawing-room 
somewhat  rarely  used,  where  the  paper  may  be  light 
and  formal  in  design  ;  or  in  a  library,  rendered  warm 
and  livable  by  the  presence  of  an  insistent  deeper 
note ;  or  the  dining-room,  furnished  if  possible  with 
an  effect  heavy  enough  to  suggest  the  substantial 
character  of  the  hospitality  to  be  expected  there. 
In  any  of  these  or  other  schemes  of  decoration 
the  floor-covering  fills  exactly  the  same  position 
that  the  pedals  of  a  piano  fill  to  the  musician.  It 
should  be  selected  to  soften  or  to  accentuate  the 
effect  suggested  by  the  treatment  of  the  walls. 
Many  a  room  otherwise  perfect  has  been  hope- 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

lessly  marred  by  ignorance  of  this.  Next  to  har- 
mony, the  law  of  contrast  should  govern  its  selec- 
tion most  strongly.  When  the  walls  of  a  room 
are  covered  with  a  variegated  paper  of  a  strong 
and  forceful  character,  a  carpet  of  plain  color  is 
usually  just  the  restraining  note  needed;  where  the 
walls  are  covered  with  a  tapestry  full  of  softly 
blended,  indefinite  tones,  the  introduction  of  some 
one  of  those  tints  into  the  floor-covering  may  add 
the  one  full  note  needed  for  the  breadth  and  serenity 
of  the  room  as  a  whole.  On  the  other  hand,  plain 
walls,  hangings,  and  furniture-coverings  may  bear 
the  same  relation  to  a  beautiful  rug  that  a  frame 
bears  to  a  beautiful  picture  —  acting  as  a  negative  yet 
most  important  background  for  the  accentuation  of 
its  perfections.  Sometimes,  too,  where  the  wain- 
scoting is  of  white,  or  light  wood,  and  the  walls  are 
covered  with  a  strong  color,  it  is  absolutely  essential 
that  their  tone  be  brought  to  the  floor-line  in  the 
hangings,  and  further  emphasized  in  the  covering 
of  the  floor.  Otherwise  a  top-heavy  effect  is  pro- 
duced, and  the  room  has  a  capped  appearance,  which 
destroys  entirely  the  effect  of  space.  In  the  recently 
finished  hall  of  a  Colonial  country  house,  where  the 
ceiling  and  wainscoting  were  white  and  the  upper 
walls  of  Empire  green,  the  portieres  suggested  by 
the  decorator  were  of  softest  foliage  greens  ;  but  the 
whole  color  scheme  of  the  room  went  awry  until 
the  hostess  had  the  good  sense  to  discard  the 
valuable  foreign  rugs  upon  which  she  had  prided 
herself,  and  purchased  an  inexpensive  green-and- 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

white  cotton  square,  which  proved  the  "  lost  chord  " 
for  which  she  had  been  vainly  searching.  Only  a 
righteous  search  after  wisdom  gave  her  the  courage 
for  such  an  act. 

When  a  question  of  expense  is  to  be  considered, 
a  good  floor-covering  is  made  of  jeans  or  denim, 
especially  in  nurseries  or  dining-rooms.  As  the 
material  is  thin  it  is  often  as  well  to  use  a  carpet- 
lining  beneath.  Should  this  be  too  heavy,  news- 
papers may  take  its  place  —  to  be  thrown  away 
when  the  covering  is  taken  up  to  be  washed.  Oil- 
cloth and  linoleums  are  to  be  recommended  where 
there  is  much  traffic  and  bare  floors  are  disliked. 
A  carpet  for  a  hall  is  altogether  wrong  where 
children  run  back  and  forth  with  their  muddy  shoes, 
or  where  there  is  much  passing  to  and  fro,  unless  it 
is  arranged  so  that  it  can,  when  soiled,  be  taken  up 
and  shaken. 

In  bedrooms  and  country-house  parlors,  mattings 
are  never  without  a  certain  vogue.  Each  year 
shows  new  and  improved  designs  in  these  textures. 
They  are  cool,  can  be  washed  with  soap  and  water, 
and  give  a  general  air  of  freshness  to  a  room. 
Rugs  woven  of  matting,  with  borders,  may  be  used 
on  bedrooms  and  porches,  and  add  much  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  latter,  where  a  heavier  rug  is 
not  to  be  employed. 


316 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXII 


THE    FIREPLACE 


,4V  M 


Y  fire  is  my  friend,"  says  Colonel 
Carter.  "  After  it  talks  to  me 
for  hours,  we  both  get  sleepy 
together,  and  I  cover  it  up 
with  its  gray  blanket  of  ashes 
and  then  go  to  bed." 

"  And  I,  likewise,"  says 
Hawthorne  in  one  of  his  ex- 
quisite essays,  "I,  to  my 
shame,  have  put  up  stoves 
in  kitchen  and  parlor  and 
chamber." 

Here  the  whole  story  is 
told.  An  open  fire  is  a  friend, 
a  homely  comforting  friend 
of  cheerful  presence  and 
genial  moods,  content  "  to 
dwell  day  after  day,  and  one  long  lonesome  night 
after  another,  on  the  dusky  hearth,  only  now  and 
then  betraying  his  wild  nature  by  thrusting  his  red 
tongue  out  of  the  chimney-pot."  And  certainly 
we  sin  against  this  elemental  spirit  when  we  banish 
him,  when  we  "  put  up  stoves,"  or  think  to  improve 
our  condition  with  hot-air  registers  cut  in  the  wall, 

317 


tnade. 


colorfc4    plaatev 


a  <iWly 
.TU.  c_    u 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

or  coils  of  steam  piping  under  the  window-sills. 
And  quite  as  certainly,  too,  those  who  sin  against 
the  sentiment  of  the  open  fire  are  branded.  The 
fire-lover  knows  them  at  once.  When  I  first  left  a 
land  in  which  hickory  was  burned  every  day  on  the 
hearth,  I  could  recognize  at  a  glance  those  who 
knew  nothing  of  "  honest  old  logs."  I  knew  them 
by  their  sallow  complexions,  their  dried  skins,  the 
complexions  of  those  who  have  hovered  over  regis- 
ters when  they  wanted  to  keep  warm. 

What  benignant  influences  these  people  had 
missed  !  And  the  poor  babies  —  the  children  of 
these  offenders  —  babies  who  had  never  been  rocked 
before  a  nursery  fender,  nor  soothed  to  sleep  on 
windy  winter  nights  by  the  dropping  of  hot  cinders 
one  by  one,  like  shooting  stars,  from  the  coals  of 
the  open  grate  into  the  bed  of  sizzling  ashes  in  a 
pan  below.  They  have  been  defrauded,  these 
children,  like  the  little  ones  to  whom  no  sweet  fairy- 
stories  have  ever  been  told. 

We  certainly  lost  our  heads  not  so  many  years 
since,  in  our  joy  of  labor-saving  devices.  The 
country  householder  was  as  pleased  over  the  con- 
trivance for  heating  her  house  without  the  bother 
of  replenishing  an  extra  fire  as  her  husband  was  by 
some  new  and  improved  implement  which  would 
save  him  the  price  of  an  extra  man  on  his  farm.  In 
town,  the  case  was  only  worse,  for  there  were  ser- 
vants in  plenty  to  attend  to  the  fires.  It  was  the 
worry  about  curtains  that  shut  up  the  chimneys, — 
as  though  fires  made  half  the  dust  of  other  modern 


"MY    FIRE    IS    MY    FRIEND" 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

improvements,  of  subways  and  asphalt  and  elevated 
trains  puffing  the  smoke  of  soft  coal  straight  into 
some  of  our  windows. 


fex 


When  the  passion  for  registers  and  steam  was  at 
its  height,  town  houses,  to  be  sure,  were  built  with 
chimneys,  but  they  were  chimneys  that  were  never 
made  to  draw.  Fireplaces,  too,  were  set  up  in  due 

3*9 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

form  in  the  middle  walls  of  front  parlors  with 
properly  appointed  mantel-shelves  above  and  open 
spaces  below.  But  woe  to  the  householder  who 
attempted  to  light  a  log.  The  only  exit  for  the 
smoke  was  over  her  best  parlor  furniture,  past  her 
curtains,  and  so  on  through  her  windows  and  out 
into  the  street. 

In  the  new  apartments  of  the  day,  renting  from 
fifteen  hundred  dollars  or  more  a  year,  a  fire-lover 
may  search  in  vain  for  anything  else  but  gas  logs. 
These  are  better  than  nothing.  They  at  least  give 
color.  But  that  "  quick  and  subtle  spirit,  whom 
Prometheus  lured  from  heaven  to  civilize  man- 
kind,"—  that  quick  and  subtle  spirit  —  is  not 
present. 

In  the  new  houses,  of  course,  and  particularly  in 
those  done  by  our  best  architects,  the  fireplace  has 
been  revived,  not  only  with  the  beauty  belonging  to 
it  in  the  early  history  of  our  country,  but  with  much 
of  the  splendor  and  magnificence  which  distin- 
guished many  of  the  fireplaces  of  foreign  castles 
and  old  feudal  halls.  Fireplaces  indeed  are  often 
purchased  entire  from  impecunious  inheritors  of  old 
estates  and  put  up  in  our  American  homes. 

No  man  of  means  in  these  days  dreams  of  build- 
ing a  house  without  having  made  a  careful  study  of 
his  chimney-piece  and  insisting  that  it  be  an  im- 
portant feature.  He  knows  that  an  open  fire  in  a 
room  is  what  a  beautiful  view  is  to  a  window.  He 
cannot  afford  to  ignore  it.  We  have  learned  much 
during  the  last  generation.  Men  and  women  who 

320 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


have  travelled,  thought,  or  read,  those  men  and 
women  who  have  never  had  traditions  about  fires 
to  preserve,  nor  clung  to  them,  as  some  have, 
through  poverties  and  disasters,  would  be  ashamed 
nowadays  to  ignore  the  refining  influences  of  the 
fire,  or  to  be  without  an  open  hearth  in  some  one 
at  least  of  their  chambers.  "The  good  taste  and 
savoir  faire  of  the  inmates 
of  a  house  may  be  guessed 
from  the  means  used  for 
heating  it,"  says  one  writer 
on  the  subject. 

Chimney-pieces,  as  we  un- 
derstand them,  were  un- 
known in  Europe  before  the 
middle  ages.  When  they 
began  to  be  seriously  con- 
sidered by  the  builders  of 
the  Renaissance,  they  were 
looked  upon  as  an  architectural  feature  of  the  room, 
and  the  importance  of  giving  an  architectural  char- 
acter to  the  chimney  has  been  insisted  upon  by  all 
the  most  distinguished  authorities  on  that  subject 
since  that  day. 

These  fireplaces  were  sometimes  of  enormous  size. 
In  the  Chateau  of  Pierrefonds  twelve  or  sixteen  life- 
size  figures  stand  over  the  fire-opening,  with  dec- 
orations above.  One  of  them  is  a  portrait  of  the 
Empress  Eugenie.  From  the  other  end  of  the  hall 
these  figures  seem  hardly  more  than  a  row  of  statu- 
ettes arranged  at  the  base  of  the  over-mantel.  Some 
21  .321 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

of  the  chimney-pieces  of  Europe  are  as  well  known 
among  art  lovers  as  pictures.     The  architects  of  to- 


A    Colonial 


day  go  to  them  for  their  models,  but  these  sumptu- 
ous creations  belong  only  to  certain  interiors.  They 
would  be  impossible  in  ordinary  houses,  their  imita- 

322 


"FIREPLACES    WERE    SOMETIMES    OF    ENORMOUS    SIZE' 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

tions  out  of  place  in  conventional  drawing-rooms. 
The  simpler  forms,  those  of  Italian  and  French 
houses,  are  copied  in  our  smaller  houses,  and  the  rest 
of  the  room  is  then  brought  into  key  with  them. 
The  beautiful  and  simple  mantelpieces  known  in 
every-day  parlance  as  the  "  Colonial,"  are  always 
looked  upon  with  especial  favor. 

In  the  ordinary  brown  stone  or  brick  house,  and 
in  most  of  the  smaller  country  places,  the  mantel- 
piece is  a  conventional  arrangement  of  marble  or 
wood,  enclosing  a  fire-opening  and  surmounted  by 
a  shelf.  No  attempt  at  architectural  excellence  has 
been  attempted.  But  even  this  ugly  affair  is  infi- 
nitely to  be  preferred  to  the  horrors  of  "  over- 
mantels "  with  inlaid  mirrors  which  seem  to  be 
entered  on  the  list  of  specifications  made  by  the 
builder  of  every  modern  apartment  house  or  "  villa  " 
advertised  "  for  sale  or  for  rent."  These  over-man- 
tels, as  I  suggested  in  another  chapter,  should  be 
taken  down  at  once.  In  almost  every  instance  such 
a  piece  of  construction  is  a  monstrosity. 

According  to  well-defined  architectural  laws  the 
top  of  a  chimney-piece  must  be  carried  to  the  cor- 
nice, as  are  the  tops  of  the  door  and  window  open- 
ings. All  the  great  fireplaces  are  designed  in  this 
way,  whether  the  chimney-piece  is  made  to  project 
into  the  room,  or  the  fire-opening  is  sunk  in  the 
wall.  In  building  up  over  our  conventional  mantel- 
shelves, therefore,  we  must  be  governed  by  the  same 
laws.  Thus  a  plain  wall  surface  over  the  mantel 
which  has  no  architectural  features  may  be  hung 

323 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

with  a  plaster  cast,  a  mirror,  or  a  picture,  and  still  be 
made  subservient  to  established  rules.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  preserve  the  proportions,  to  build  up, 
as  it  were,  toward  the  cornice.  It  makes  all  the 


K-C-B. 


difference  in  the  world,  for  instance,  whether  the 
mirror  that  is  hung  over  the  mantelpiece  is  a 
couple  of  inches  too  high  or  too  low.  It  makes 
much  difference,  too,  even  when  the  proportions 

324 


HOMES  AND   THEIR   DECORATION 

are  respected,  if  the  mirror  is  hung  so  high  that  no- 
body can  look  into  it  or  see  one  of  its  reflections. 

When  an  architect  has  designed  a  fireplace  there 
is  little  left  for  the  householder  to  do.  A  certain 
conventional  fashion  must  be  followed,  and  the  ap- 
pointments of  the  period  to  which  the  fireplace  be- 
longs must  be  repeated.  Louis  XVI  ornaments 
must  decorate  a  Louis  XVI  mantel. 

A  Colonial  mantel  cannot  be  trifled  with,  neither 
draped  nor  overcrowded  with  trifles.  Its  formality 
and  its  simplicity  of  line  must  be  respected.  Things 
that  are  arranged  above  it  must  always  show  a  bal- 
ancing of  ends,  and  a  due  consideration  for  the  cen- 
tral point  of  excellence. 

It  is  the  every-day  marble  or  wood  mantelpiece 
that  never  ceases  to  be  a  subject  of  concern  to  a 
householder.  It  never  seems  right.  It  seldom  is 
so.  She  thinks  to  remedy  it  to-day  by  a  drapery, 
to-morrow  by  sweeping  it  clean  of  everything.  She 
is  never  sure  of  what  the  drapery  should  be,  whether 
it  should  tone  with  the  upper  or  lower  part  of  a 
room,  whether  it  should  be  looped  or  "  put  on 
plain."  It  remains  forever  an  unsolved  problem. 

The  arrangement  of  a  mantel  must  depend  on  the 
height  of  the  mantel-shelf.  A  shelf  on  which  an 
elbow  can  be  rested  as  one  stands  by  the  fire  in- 
vites certain  touches  of  familiarity.  Intimate  rela- 
tions are  at  once  established,  governed  entirely  by 
a  question  of  its  configuration.  The  elbow  is  the 
standard  by  which  we  measure  much. 

When  a  shelf  lies  just  above  the  reach  of  it,  the 
325 


HOMES  AND    THEIR    DECORATION 

mantel  instantly  commands  for  itself  a  certain  defer- 
ence and  assumes  an  air  which  alters  our  manner. 

We  can  set  out  the  lower  shelf  with  a  book  or 
two ;  in  some  houses  with  a  pipe  ;  in  some  dining- 
rooms  with  a  bottle  of  red  wine ;  in  any  house  with 
a  flower,  with  things  that  we  love,  things  that  we  can 
pick  up  and  put  down.  But  the  high  shelf  demands 
a  certain  reserve.  We  can  look,  but  we  must  not 
touch. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  in  arranging  a  mantel 
is  to  choose  what  the  over-mantel  shall  be.  The 
perfectly  plain  wall-space  may  be  treated  with  a 
simple  moulding  of  wood  or  stucco  in  which  a  pic- 
ture is  set.  It  may  have  no  moulding  and  be  hung 
only  with  a  picture,  generally  one's  most  important 
or  most  interesting  or  best-beloved  picture.  It  may 
have  a  mirror,  it  may  have  a  bas-relief  hung  against 
the  wall,  or  if  the  lines  be  too  sharp,  against  a  piece 
of  silk  gathered  in  on  a  rod  just  under  the  picture- 
moulding,  and  falling  straight  to  the  shelf — not  a 
looping  of  any  kind,  else  the  effect  is  destroyed. 

The  shape  and  size  of  the  wall-space  above  the 
shelf  must  determine  the  shape  and  size  of  the  mir- 
ror, cast,  or  picture-frame  hung  there.  If  the  over 
mantel  be  square  and  the  mirror  or  picture  be 
long  and  narrow,  the  space  above  must  be  filled, 
and  in  filling  it,  in  whatever  is  done,  in  fact,  the  laws 
of  balance  and  proportion  must  be  preserved.  If, 
for  instance,  the  space  to  be  filled  is  square  or  nearly 
so,  and  the  moulding  makes  a  frame  for  a  picture, 
one  rule,  that  of  centring  the  interest,  is  obeyed. 

326 


But  if  there  be  no  moulding,  a  certain  suggestion  of 
building  up  toward  the  cornice,  of  making  an  apex, 
must  be  given.  The  central  picture  should  be 
higher  than  the  others,  or  something 
should  be  placed  over  the  middle  of 
the  picture.  This  must  not  be  done 
with  too  obvious  a  manner,  as  when 
one  hangs  a  painted  plaque  over  the 
very  nail  on  which  a  picture  is  sus- 
pended. For  the  picture  itself,  taken 
in  line  with  either  side  of  the  mantel, 
may  suggest  the  lines  which  go  to 
form  the  apex.  Or  again,  an  object 
placed  on  the  shelf  over  the  picture 
may  suggest  the  same  line  of  con- 
struction. 

Nothing  hung  over  the  mantel 
should  be  longer  than  the  mantel  it- 
self. 

When  one  is  in  doubt  about  the 
appointments  for  a  mantel-shelf,  a  pair 
of  candlesticks  and  a  plaster  cast,  and 
something  to  hold  flowers  will  prove 
the  safest  investment.  These  may 
vary  in  character  and  quality.  The 
candlesticks  may  be  of  brass,  or  glass, 
or  silver,  but  whatever  their  nature 
they  should  always  be  filled  with  can- 
dles and  lighted  whenever  possible. 
Candle-light  conveys  an  impression  of  refinement 
that  neither  gas  nor  electricity  can  ever  hope  to  em- 

327 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ulate.  Besides,  it  is  becoming.  People  look  best  by 
candle-light ;  so  do  most  stuffs  and  many  pictures. 
A  mantel-shelf  with  candles,  then,  and  flowers, 
needs  nothing  else  to  be  attractive  and  interesting 
and  proper. 

When  a  drapery  is  a  necessity,  or  when  a  house- 
holder thinks  so,  which  amounts  to  the  same  thing, 
no  law  of  arrangement  can  be  laid  down,  although 
one  positive  statement  can  always  be  made.  Noth- 
ing is  so  objectionable  as  a  mantel-shelf  to  which  an 
upholstered  look  has  been  given  by  pieces  of  cre- 
tonne or  woollen  stuff,  fringed  and  draped,  caught 
up  at  the  corners  with  bows  and  rosettes,  and  made 
a  general  receptacle  for  dust.  In  some  rooms  a 
piece  of  heavy  lace  over  a  color  is  not  so  objection- 
able when  nailed  perfectly  flat.  A  piece  of  stuff,  a 
corduroy,  or  a  velveteen  with  gimp,  is  admissible 
without  gathers,  nailed  flat.  A  piece  of  stuff  laid 
over  the  mantel-board  and  allowed  to  fall  in  natural 
folds  is  unpretentious,  serves  a  certain  purpose,  and 
is  therefore  admissible.  A  piece  of  brocade  in  cer- 
tain environments,  or  of  embroidery  when  laid  over 
a  shelf  with  the  obvious  intention  of  introducing  a 
note  of  color  or  of  relieving  an  impression  of  bare- 
ness, is  also  at  times  most  effective.  But  to  employ 
any  stuff  or  material  over  a  mantel  implies,  in  the 
very  nature  of  things,  that  the  mantel  itself  is  ugly, 
and  that  the  householder  has  been  obliged  to  do 
something  to  relieve  its  unpleasantness.  No  ex- 
quisitely carved  mantel  could  be  so  dishonored, 
certainly  none  of  fine  marble. 

328 


HOMES  4ND    THEIR   DECORATION 

In  choosing  a  color  for  the  drapery,  that  of  the 
wall  and  of  the  hangings  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration. If  with  dark  walls  and  a  black  marble 


Slon* 

wittx  plaster  caff 


fireplace  a  light  cover  is  introduced,  the  effect  is 
that  of  a  light  streak  breaking  the  line  of  the  wall. 
Then  the  decoration  becomes  too  obvious,  and 
loses  such  little  quality  as  it  might  have  been  made 

329 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  possess.  It  is  better  to  build  up  from  the  lower 
or  the  floor-color,  making  the  cover  as  inconspicuous 
as  possible. 

The  material  of  which  a  curtain  is  made  is  often 
the  best  and  only  lambrequin  possible  for  the  man- 
tels of  certain  rooms.  The  French  use  it  in  this 
way,  repeating  on  the  mantel-shelf  the  form  of  the 
lambrequin  over  the  window.  When  this  is  done, 
the  best  taste  inclines  to  a  formal  arrangement 
of  the  material,  bound  with  gimp  and  nailed  on  a 
board. 

The  hideous  white  marble  mantel  found  at  one 
time  in  every  town  house,  the  country  over,  is  one 
of  the  most  objectionable  objects  in  a  room.  If  it 
cannot  be  removed,  it  should  certainly  be  painted 
to  match  the  wall,  especially  when  the  walls  are 
dark. 

The  most  fascinating  of  all  the  fireplaces  of  the 
day  are  those  built  in  holiday  retreats.  Though 
made  of  rough  stones,  they  invariably  express  some 
individual  sentiment  or  the  taste  of  the  householder. 
They  are  of  course  not  for  an  instant  to  be  compared 
in  architectural  beauty  or  excellence  of  detail  to  the 
finer  fireplaces  of  our  more  sumptuous  new  houses, 
but  they  are  more  fascinating  and  more  individual, 
for  all  that,  and  express  a  sincerity  of  purpose  that 
many  of  the  finer  pieces  lack  —  that  sincerity  which 
means  having  been  built  with  a  defined  and  a  lova- 
ble purpose,  and  not  because  it  seemed  the  proper 
thing  to  do. 

These  rough  stone  fireplaces  generally  project 
33° 


'  . 


MANTELPIECES    DIRECTLY    OVER    EACH    OTHER    IN    THE    SAME    APARTMENT 

HOUSE 
(SEE    ILLUSTRATIONS    OPPOSITE    PAGZS    332    AND    334) 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

into  the  room,  which  makes  the  possibility  of  nooks 
all  about  them.  When  a  projection  of  eight  or  ten 
feet  is  made  into  a  large  living-room,  as  is  done  in 
some  country  places,  one  side  of  the  room  is  practi- 
cally divided  in  two,  making  it  possible  to  have  two 


distinct  centres  of  interest,  one  on  either  side,  one 
side  being  devoted  to  writing,  the  other,  quite  hid- 
den from  it,  arranged  with  divans  and  low  cushioned 
seats  for  reading  and  lounging  undisturbed. 

In  some  instances  the  hearth  is  made  to  fall  a  foot 
or  two  below  the  level  of  the  floor,  in  this  way  form- 

331 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ing  a  step  which  can  be  cushioned  or  covered  with  a 
rug,  and  on  which,  on  story  tellers'  nights,  groups  of 
old  and  young  can  gather  together. 

Another  fashion  is  to  have  seats  drawn  up  at  right 
angles  on  either  side,  wooden  settles  that  have  been 
cushioned  and  made  comfortable.  Sometimes  small 
square  stone  seats  are  built  on  either  side  of  the 
fire-opening,  large  enough  to  hold  one  person,  or 
logs  for  the  fire.  The  whole  purpose  is  to  make  a 
hearth  round  which  all  the  indoor  interests  may 
centre. 

The  decorations  of  these  fireplaces  always  obey 
the  laws  of  a  rigid  simplicity.  One  will  show  brass 
candelabra,  another  a  plaster  cast  of  beauty,  some- 
thing worth  looking  at  when  the  eye  is  raised. 
Green  branches  from  neighboring  woods  are  shown 
in  pots,  or  wild-flowers  in  vases.  Sometimes  a  deer's 
head  is  seen,  but  nothing  is  introduced  on  the  shelf 
or  recess  out  of  key  with  the  surroundings,  nothing 
like  a  Dresden  china  image  or  a  piece  of  crystal ;  no 
photographs  in  silver  frames ;  no  pictures,  in  fact. 
Bronzes,  pottery,  clay,  or  plaster  alone  appear.  These 
fireplaces  are  simplicity  itself,  but,  oh,  the  cheer  and 
the  charm  of  some  of  them  ! 

No  one  who  has  been  accustomed  to  a  Franklin 
stove  will  ever  swerve  in  loyalty  from  it.  In  many 
places  where  the  building  of  an  open  fireplace  is  an 
impossibility,  these  Franklins  not  only  serve  every 
purpose  in  giving  out  heat  and  cheerfulness,  but 
they  add  a  delightful  quality  to  a  room  which  other- 
wise might  have  been  bare  and  inhospitable.  They 

332 


MANTELPIECES    DIRECTLY    OVER    EACH    OTHER    IN    THE    SAME    APARTMENT 

HOUSE 
(SEE    ILLUSTRATIONS    OPPOSITE    PAGES    330    AND    334) 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

give  out  even  greater  heat  than  an  ordinary  fire- 
place, since  they  should  stand  out  in  the  room,  the 
heat  radiating  from  every  side.  When  there  is  a 
fireplace  like  that  in  the  illustration,  and  the  room 
is  too  small  to  lend  itself  to  a  more  generous  treat- 


ment,  the  Franklin  may  be  pushed  in  under  the 
shelf.  The  three  fireplaces,  of  which  this  is  one, 
are  introduced  to  prove  the  point  so  often  insisted 
upon,  that,  given  the  same  wall-space  and  config- 
uration in  the  rooms  of  houses  or  apartments, 
the  effects  produced  need  never  be  monotonous. 

333 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  three  mantelpieces  shown  are  directly  over 
each  other,  in  the  same  apartment  house. 

The  andirons,  shovels,  tongs,  fender,  and  coal- 
scuttles may  be  of  ormolu,  brass,  bronze,  or  iron. 
They  are  of  all  kinds  and  descriptions,  and  when 
interesting,  add  enormously  to  the  distinction  of 
special  firesides.  The  shovel  and  tongs  are  generally 
placed  upright  against  the  mantelpiece,  supported 
often  by  a  brass  hook  fastened  to  the  side. 

Many  persons  prefer  iron  for  firearms,  since  no 
trouble  is  involved  in  keeping  them  clean,  but  a 
lover  of  color  must  always  prefer  brass  —  brass  that 
is  polished  every  week.  Half  the  fascination  of  a 
fire  on  a  winter  night  comes  from  the  play  of  a  flame, 
with  a  thousand  reflections,  which  fill  the  round 
knobs  of  brass  andirons  till  one  who  looks  on 
seems  almost  to  be  gazing  into  seas  and  deeps  of 
vibrant  flame  and  color. 

Every  open  fireplace  should  be  amply  supplied 
with  fuel.  The  coal  should  be  in  a  scuttle  of  brass 
or  of  bronze  ;  the  wood  in  some  receptacle.  Straw 
wood  baskets  are  always  in  order.  Dutch  carved 
wooden  cradles  are  sometimes  used, — a  hideous  dese- 
cration, I  think.  An  old  carved  chest,  copper  and 
brass  cauldrons,  sometimes  bits  of  pottery,  are  all 
introduced.  Sometimes  bits  of  pottery  are  used  to 
hold  the  pieces  of  kindling-wood. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  see  a  text  of  some  kind  intro- 
duced in  old  lettering  round  the  fire-opening ;  in 
some  families  these  texts  are  guarded  like  traditions, 
handed  from  father  to  son.  Great  offence  is  given 

334 


MANTELPIECES    DIRECTLY    OVER    EACH    OTHER    IN    THE    SAME    APARTMENT 

HOUSE 
(SEE     ILLUSTRATIONS    OPPOSITE    PAGES     330    AND     332) 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

when  such  a  text  is  copied  by  some  one  having  no 
claim  upon  it.     But  there  are  some  on  which  every 
one  may  have  a  claim. 
Thus,  there  are  these  :  — 

"Aha!  I  am  warmed,  I  have  seen  the  fire." 
"The  sacred  trust  of  the  household  fire." 
"  In  winter's  tedious  nights  sit  by  the  fire." 


335 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


S"h.ip'»  Uarap    stand t'rs.d  on,  »  table. 


CHAPTER   XXIII 

VERANDAS,     LOGGIA,    AND    BALCONIES 

HE     terrace,  —  the     exquisitely    ap- 
pointed, the  beautifully  designed,  the 
wonderfully  proportioned  terrace,  with 
its  marble  urns,  its  carved  balustrades, 
its  flowers,  its  statues,  its  fountains,  the 
open-air    living-room,    the    garden    of 
delight,  the  wealth,  as  it  becomes  civil- 
ized, creates  for  itself,  —  such  a  terrace 
is  beyond  the  reach   of  the  multitude. 
To    possess   them,   one    must 
have  land  and  space  and  many 
dollars.     The  wonder  is  only, 
that  those  with  lands  and  dol- 
lars have  built  so  few.     Those 
'-.    which   our  country  possesses, 
exquisite    as    some     of    them 


may  be  and  are,  have  only  been  laid  out  within 
comparatively  recent  years.  Somewhere  in  the  late 
eighties  they  began  to  appear. 

It  should  go  without  saying  that  an  architect 
must  be  employed  in  their  creation.  Now  and  then 
only  is  a  householder  equipped  by  knowledge  and 
observation  to  lay  one  out  for  himself. 

336 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  balcony,  the  loggia,  the  veranda,  are  all 
within  the  scope  of  limited  talents  and  means.  The 
ugliest  and  simplest  of  balconies  or  porches  can  be 
made  interesting  and  livable  with  awnings  and 
flowers,  a  rug  or  two,  and  some  comfortable  chairs. 
But  a  terrace,  that  very  acme  of  refinement  and 
good  taste  on  a  country  estate,  to  be  beautiful, 
cannot  represent  the  haphazard  attempts  of  the 
amateur. 

The  simpler  form  of  terrace  is  a  paved  court  pro- 
tected by  a  stone  coping  or  balustrade  surmounted 
with  flowers  ;  thus  one  may  have  a  brick  floor  and 
coping,  the  only  floral  decorations  being  rows  of 
geraniums  in  pots  at  regular  intervals,  and  for 
shade  large  awnings  of  plain  green  denim.  When 
these  are  rolled  back,  on  cool  summer  days,  the  sun 
can  reach  and  warm  the  paving.  Another  will  be 
shaded  by  awnings  or  draped  canvas  in  some  one 
corner,  while  the  steps  that  lead  to  the  lawn  may 
lead  from  either  side  of  a  projection  set  with  stone 
seats  covered  with  rugs.  Or,  again,  the  terrace 
will  be  protected  by  an  arbor,  over  which  the  vine 
of  the  grape  or  the  wistaria  or  the  rose  has  been 
trained.  These  simpler  forms  run  into  elaborate 
creations  of  great  beauty,  in  which  marble  and 
carved  stone  are  introduced,  and  in  which  the  art 
of  the  sculptor  and  the  taste  of  the  flower-lover 
are  displayed  in  all  their  luxuriance. 

Beautiful  as  these  terraces  are,  their  charm  would 
be  absolutely  destroyed  were  they  treated  as  parks, 
thrown  open  to  every  person  who  chose  to  ring  at 
22  337 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  front  door.  They  represent  a  private  domain. 
Like  one's  dining-rooms,  they  are  reserved  for  the 
family  and  its  invited  guests.  In  this  they  prove 
their  right  to  be  regarded  as  flowers  of  civilized  do- 
mestic architecture.  It  is  only  with  this  suggestion 
of  privacy  that  the  final  stamp  of  excellence  is  given, 
and  it  is  the  lack  of  this  suggestion  which  makes  so 
many  verandas  objectionable.  Curiously  enough, 
we  as  a  people  have  been  a  long  time  in  learning 
this.  Even  new  houses,  costing  several  hundreds 
of  thousands,  will  often  show  a  huge  veranda  on 
which  the  family  hammocks  are  hung,  the  tea-tables 
and  lounging  chairs  set  out.  The  worst  of  it  is, 
that  they  are  built  around  the  only  door  to  which 
visitors  leaving  a  card  can  be  driven,  so  that  endless 
embarrassment  ensues.  The  visitor,  if  she  be 
young  and  shy,  does  not  want  to  run  the  blockade 
of  a  dozen  or  more  eyes  all  turned  in  her  direction ; 
neither,  if  she  be  sensitive,  does  she  want  to  know 
that  half  the  family  have  scampered  away  at  her 
approach,  because  they  were  not  attired  to  receive 
her,  —  though  of  this  she  may  know  nothing,  as  she 
catches  a  glimpse  of  retreating  figures,  -or  hears,  as 
she  draws  near,  ejaculations  of  surprise  and  hurried 
steps  of  departure.  All  of  this  makes  the  ordinary 
veranda  of  our  country  places  absolutely  objection- 
able, and  the  mental  attitude  of  the  householder  a 
mystery.  One  can  only  wonder  at  it  all,  and  why 
it  is,  with  all  the  old-world  examples  to  draw  upon, 
so  few  people  build  loggias,  or  balconies,  or  upstairs 
verandas  for  lounging. 

338 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Country  house  after  country  house  is  constructed, 
and  there  is  no  sign  of  this  out-door  retreat  on  the 
bedroom  floor,  no  place  on  which  one  can  lie  and 
be  comfortable  out  of  doors,  can  read  or  write,  take 
one's  morning  coffee  or  nap  at  intervals,  indifferent 
to  the  crunch  of  carriage  wheels  on  the  gravel  of  the 
driveway.  To  small  houses  these  loggias  add  the 
same  compelling  note  of  refinement  that  the  ter- 
race adds  to  the  larger  and  more  elaborate  dwellings, 
that  indescribable  air  of  refinement,  indeed,  which 
one  is  apt  to  find  only  among  the  more  highly  de- 
veloped. If  I  had  my  way,  I  should 
not  only  have  a  loggia  in  every  house, 
but  a  separate  loggia  for  every  bed- 
room, and  especially  for  every  guest- 
room. 

And  they  are  so  easy  to  arrange, 
these  loggias  —  a  rug,  a  hammock,  an 
awning,  perhaps,  a  Japanese  screen,  a 
table,  and  flowers  —  always  flowers,  of 
course.  Flowers  are  to  loggias  what  a  fireside  is  to 
a  room  or  what  logs  are  to  a  fire.  Then  when  a 
bench  or  a  chair  is  added,  all  is  done.  But  the 
comfort  of  them,  the  seclusion,  the  security,  the 
charm,  and  the  good-breeding  of  them  !  No  hurry- 
scurry  when  a  visitor  approaches,  no  apologies  — 
only  perfect  freedom  and  absolute  delight. 

In  certain  places  in  the  mountains  the  habit  of 
sleeping  on  loggias  has  grown  within  the  last  few 
years.  Even  children  of  six  are  put  to  bed  there, 
for  unless  the  door  into  the  house  is  open,  there  are 

339 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


no  draughts  on  the  loggia,  which  is  only  open  to 
the  air  in  front.  There  is  no  danger  of  cold,  and 
with  plenty  of  blankets  one  is  even  more  comfort- 

34° 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

able  than  indoors.  The  thermometer  can  be  as 
low  as  forty  without  discomfort  to  a  child,  and  the 
most  restless  and  wakeful  of  children,  who  toss  all 
night  in  a  nursery,  will  sleep  without  moving  with 
the  cool,  crisp  air  of  the  hills  all  about  them. 

Whenever  there  is  a  covered  porch  or  veranda 
below,  and  a  window  above,  something  answering  to 
a  loggia  can  be  made.  In  one  instance,  the  roof  of 
a  little  porch  over  the  front  door  was  taken  posses- 
sion of,  the  window  of  the  bedroom  cut  to  the  floor 
to  form  a  door.  As  the  sun  was  needed  in  winter, 
awnings  and  Japanese  screens  were  made  to  inclose 
it,  pots  of  geraniums  were  set  out,  and  straw  furniture 
impervious  to  the  damp  was  used. 

Of  all  these  loggias,  none  are  so  fascinating  as 
those  which  look  directly  into  the  branches  of  great 
trees,  or  in  which  a  favorite  tree  has  been  made  part 
of  the  construction  ;  but  this  ideal,  of  course,  can  only 
be  attained  in  country  houses.  To  look  into  the 
very  centre  of  the  tree,  indeed,  over  a  foreground 
of  red  geraniums  set  out  on  the  railing,  and  with  a 
suggestion  of  mountains  or  of  water  beyond,  is  to 
know  the  secret  of  repose  and  of  unruffled  sweet 
content. 

For  some  reason,  we  Americans  do  not  take  kindly 
to  balconies.  We  fancy  that  our  climate  stands  in 
the  way,  and  that  in  large  towns  those  who  sit  on 
them  are  in  too  much  evidence  from  the  street.  We 
forget  how  much  more  habitable  and  delightful  they 
would  make  our  town  houses  in  the  late  spring,  how 
much  they  would  do  for  the  man  of  the  house  forced 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

to  stay  in  town  during  the  blasting  heat  of  the  sum- 
mer, and  how  much  they  would  add  to  the  lives  of 
our  children  in  winter. 

We  are  attempting  roof  gardens  here  in  New 
York,  even  on  our  private  houses,  but  they  have  to  be 
carefully  thought  out  and  planned,  since  the  pipes 
used  for  ventilating  the  drains  are  apt  to  open  just 
by  the  chimneys,  and  to  make  a  roof  not  only 
unpleasant  but  unhealthy  as  a  lounging-place. 

A  balcony,  even  when  it  opens  out  from  the  par- 
lor, and  is  near  the  street,  can  be  made  delightful 
with  awnings  and  flower-boxes.  Privacy  can  always 
be  assured  by  a  heavy  curtain  of  English  ivy  falling 
from  the  box  set  out  from  the  railing.  I  have  one 
in  mind  as  I  write,  a  balcony  that  is  the  envy  of 
every  passer-by  in  summer.  The  mother,  who 
planned  its  general  lay-out,  is  never  without  her 
stalwart  young  sons  in  attendance.  She  is  a  wise 
woman. 

I  know  still  another  balcony.  Few  passers-by 
have  discovered  it.  It  is  built  of  finely  wrought 
iron  of  charming  design  and  hangs  just  under  the 
eaves  of  a  five-story  brown  stone  house  —  such  an 
aerie  of  a  balcony,  so  tucked  away,  so  inaccessible, 
so  comfortable,  so  absolutely  secluded  and  out  of 
reach  of  the  doorbell,  so  safe  from  the  intrusion  of 
inquisitive  eyes,  yet  from  it  one  can  see  the  East 
River  on  one  side  and  the  Hudson  on  the  other. 

We  might  have  so  many  more  of  these  aeries  and 
retreats  if  we  were  only  willing  to  try,  so  many  more 
out  of  the  way  fresh  air  breathing  places  if  we  only 

342 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


knew  how  to  utilize  a  bit  of  roof  over  a  butler's 
pantry  or  an  addition  in  the  back  of  a  house ;  if  we 
only  loved  the  sun  enough,  and  knew  how  to  catch 
and  hold  its  rays  in  winter,  and  warm  ourselves  in 
it  when  the  pavements  were  damp  and  the  streets 
uncomfortable  or  impassable  ;  or  if  we  only  cared 
enough  for  flowers  and  green  things,  and  knew  how 
to  turn  our  old-fashioned  back  porches 
to  account. 

In  some  of  the  old  parts  of  town,  these 
back    porches    have    been    covered   with 
vines  and   set  out  with   hammocks   and 
plants,  so  that  on  the  hottest  days  those 
inside  of  the  house  get  a  feeling  of  green, 
instead  of  blasts  of  hot  air  from  scorching 
asphalt  streets.     The  problem 
for  the  householder  would  be 
simplified   if   she   remembered 
that   permanent   wooden   roofs 
were   not  always   necessary   to 
verandas  and  improvised   log- 
gias.      Awnings     serve     every 
purpose.      They  can   be  run 
up  and  down  at  every  change 
of  the   barometer  and  rob  a 
house  of  no  sun  in  winter. 

What  we  call  here  in  America  the  front  piazza, 
a  structure  that  with  its  roof  often  runs  all  around 
the  first  story  of  a  house  and  sometimes  only  across 
one  side,  could  easily  have  its  roof  flattened,  hung 
with  awnings,  and  made  into  a  lounging  place  for  a 

343 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

family  upstairs.  There  is  a  town  near  New  York, 
inhabited  by  well-to-do  people,  in  which  every  fence 
has  been  removed  that  one  grass  plot  may  run 
into  the  other,  and  in  which  the  front  of  every  house 
has  a  front  piazza,  and  every  piazza,  has  its  family 
group,  and  every  family  group  its  various  forms  of 
recreation,  —  its  reading  and  sewing  and  talking  — 
always  its  talking,  —  so  that  as  the  stranger  drives 
by  he  catches  scraps  of  conversation  floating  out  on 
an  air  that  is  filled  with  the  buzzing  of  voices  from 
scores  of  piazzas  up  and  down  the  street.  No  at- 
tempt at  seclusion  is  made.  The  young  girl  swings 
in  the  hammock  ;  the  young  man  smokes.  The 
baby  tries  to  crawl  up  and  down  the  steps,  some 
patient  soul  in  attendance  holding  on  to  its  white 
petticoats  to  prevent  a  fall.  1  saw  only  one  piazza 
in  this  town  in  which  anything  had  been  done  to 
distinguish  it  from  its  neighbors.  The  house  itself 
was  ugly  enough,  but  the  piazza  made  it  the  most 
interesting  dwelling-place  along  the  line.  Green 
and  white  awnings  were  hung  from  the  roof.  On 
the  railings  there  were  boxes  of  red  and  white  gera- 
niums fastened,  with  vines  falling  over  the  rails. 
As  these  vines  did  not  render  the  piazza  eye-proof, 
Turkey  red  was  nailed  inside  the  railing.  This  red 
was  hung  again  as  curtains  falling  straight  under  the 
awnings,  to  be  drawn  back  and  forth  at  the  option 
of  the  owner.  There  were  other  Turkey  red  cur- 
tains hung  at  the  farther  end  of  the  piazza  to  shut 
it  off.  Straw  tables,  chairs,  hammocks,  bird-cages, 
and  more  flowers  on  stands  and  in  big  pots  on  the 

344 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

steps,  completed  the  arrangements.  Rugs  covered 
the  floor.  Tea  was  served  here  in  the  afternoon, 
but  all  the  world  of  passers-by  was  not  admitted  to 
the  spectacle.  When  curtains  are  not  desired  on  a 
porch  and  vines  do  not  give  sufficient  privacy, 
hanging  screens  are  used,  made  of  Japanese  straw. 
Venetian  blinds  are  effective  and  serviceable. 

Now  and  then  the  corner  of  a  country  piazza 
is  enclosed  in  glass,  so  that  a  summer  dining-room 
is  made ;  but  when  this  is  done,  it  must  not  be  sup- 
posed that  what  at  times  is  called  "  a  sun  parlor  " 
has  been  created.  Every  one  who  has  been  to 
certain  resorts  knows  what  a  hideous  place  a  "  sun 
parlor"  may  be,  —  nothing  more  nor  less,  in  fact, 
than  a  sitting-room  near  the  street  and  open  to  the 
gaze  of  every  pedestrian.  In  one  town  there  is  an 
avenue  of  them,  each  one  filled  with  appointments 
more  uninteresting  than  the  other, — cheap  chairs, 
dried  flowers  in  china  vases,  lamps  with  painted  glass 
globes,  straw  rocking-chairs  tied  with  ribbons.  Such 
a  room  or  "sun  parlor,"  if  you  prefer,  should  be 
treated  with  fresh  flowers,  not  dried  blossoms  in 
china-ware.  No  ribbons  should  appear,  no  uphol- 
stery. Palms  or  rubber-trees  should  be  arranged 
against  the  panes.  The  sun  can  shine  through 
them  or  over  them,  which  would  only  add  beauty 
to  the  interior,  since  there  are  few  things  so  lovely 
as  the  sunlight  through  green  leaves.  A  family 
should  not  remain  in  evidence.  A  man  or  a  woman 
who  sits  all  day  by  a  window  looking  out  into  the 
street,  suggests  the  possession  of  a  horizon  so  lim- 

345 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ited  that  one's  pity,  not  one's  respect,  is  aroused. 
These  "  sun  parlors  "  are  never  the  places  for  a  din- 
ing-room. One  must  dine  in  quiet  when  at  home. 
Poor  Marie  Antoinette  offended  her  French  sub- 
jects when  she  insisted  upon  this  privilege.  We 
offend  against  good  manners  when  we  make  no 
such  insistence. 

An  out-door  lounging  place  is  never  furnished 
except  with  stuffs  or  hangings  that  are  not  injured 
by  the  damp.  Straw  chairs  and  cotton  materials 
are  the  safest.  Care  is  taken  in  choosing  a  dye, 
since  some,  like  the  blue,  have  disagreeable  odors 
when  wet.  Every  year  shows  a  marked  improve- 
ment in  the  manufacture  of  grass  cloths,  cretonnes, 
and  stamped  cottons  which  come  for  the  purpose. 
Navajo  blankets,  Indian  hangings  and  embroideries, 
Egyptian  stuffs  used  in  dahabiyehs,  make  effective 
hangings  and  rugs  for  verandas  or  loggias  in  the 
mountains.  These  blankets  are  often  laid  over  the 
benches.  Anything  brilliant  and  decorative  and  in- 
tended for  out-door  use  is  used.  In  the  verandas 
of  town  houses  and  country  places  more  formality 
is  necessary,  though  awnings  and  flowers  are  the 
rule  everywhere. 

Bath-chairs,  when  lined  with  a  cotton,  make  agree- 
able additions  to  the  appointments  of  the  veranda, 
especially  to  people  sensible  to  draughts. 

Of  all  the  flowers  used  in  the  decorations,  none 
is  so  hardy,  nor  so  amiable,  as  the  geranium.  It 
lends  itself  alike  to  the  windows  and  porches  of  rich 
and  poor.  When  combined  with  a  vine,  it  makes 

346 


HOMES  ANT>    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  prettiest  and  most  satisfactory  of  boxes,  whether 
in  town  or  the  country,  except  in  places  like  the 
Adirondacks  or  the  Canadian  woods,  where  on 
porches  it  smacks  too  much  of  the  manner  of  the 
town  or  the  landed  estate. 

In  the  large  country  places,  the  hydrangeas  take 
the  place  of  the  simple  geranium.  A  question  not 
only  of  latitude  and  longitude,  but  of  special  envi- 
ronment, must  cover  all  decision  in  the  matter  of 
flowers  and  vines  used  in  the  decoration  of  verandas 
and  loggias.  A  sure  rule  would  incline  a  house- 
holder to  the  vine  or  the  green  of  her  particular 
neighborhood.  In  town  she  falls  back  on  the  gera- 
nium, or  the  seeds  and  plants  bought  from  a  florist. 

There  are  hammocks  furnished  with  mattresses 
which  are  excellent  for  keeping  off  the  cold  when 
autumn  begins. 

There  should  always  be  a  separate  set  of  wraps, 
cushions,  rugs  for  the  floor  and  rugs  for  the  knees, 
especially  provided  for  the  veranda  and  kept  exclu- 
sively for  it,  as  they  are  for  steamers  and  yachts, 
which  are  carried  in  every  night,  dried  when  damp, 
and  which  are  always  ready  to  use.  Extra  ones  for 
visitors  should  never  be  neglected. 


347 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXIV 

THE  LIGHTING    OF    A    HOUSE 

THERE  are  two  points  of  view  from 
which  the  subject  of  lighting  must  be 
considered,  whatever  the  medium  employed, 
whether  gas,  electricity,  oil,  or 
candles  are  used.     There  must 
always,  for  instance,  come  first 
the    question    of    illumination, 
the  giving  of  sufficient  light  to 
read   and   to   live    by.      Often 
this    is    the    only    point   with 
many     persons.       After     this 
comes   the   question    of   color, 
An.  EUcirit  Dropli'<fti_.pTom.  ])rldt'mu      which  to  other  people  is  the 

one  question  of  paramount 

importance,  overtopping  every  other  consideration, 
even  that  of  having  sufficient  light  to  see  by.  It  is 
because  this  question  of  color  is  demanding  more  and 
more  attention  that  the  proper  shading  of  artificial 
lights  has  become  so  all-important  to  modern  house- 
holders. Neither  the  hangings  of  their  windows 
nor  the  covering  for  their  walls  occasion  them  more 
anxiety,  for  it  is  readily  seen  that  a  bad  light  may 

348 


HOMES  AND   THEIR  DECORATION 

not  only  destroy  one's  eyesight,  but  mar  the  effect 
of  one's  room  as  well.  Even  those  not  "  sensitive  " 
to  color  can  be  made  to  understand  the  difference 
in  some  lights  by  trying  a  simple  experiment.  Go, 
for  instance,  suddenly  from  one  room  in  which 
there  is  a  green  shade  on  the  gas-burner,  into  a 
room  in  which  the  gas  globe  is  white,  and  at  first  it 
will  seem  that  the  second  room  is  flooded  with  a 
yellow-pink  light  that  is  almost  dazzling.  The 
green  glass  of  the  first  room  has  absorbed  all  the 
yellow  rays.  Yet  ordinarily  a  white  light  takes  the 
color  out  of  a  room  and  spoils  the  more  delicate 
tones. 

For  beauty  and  charm  and  softness  there  is  noth- 
ing like  a  candle.  It  is,  as  I  said  in  some  other 
place,  always  becoming.  It  never  takes  the  color 
out  of  a  room,  and  always  adds  a  note  of  elegance 
to  it.  Even  in  a  well-lighted  room,  the  beam  of  a 
candle  has  a  value  of  its  own.  It  makes  a  new 
centre  of  brilliancy  and  a  new  set  of  shadows.  A 
candle  is  always  picturesque,  too,  because  it  always 
adds  varieties  of  darks  and  lights  on  whatever  its 
radiance  falls.  Many  people  think  to  gain  the  same 
effect  with  tiny  lamps  set  with  porcelain  cylinders 
and  shaped  like  candles.  The  quality  of  the  light  is 
never  the  same.  There  is  a  something,  to  be  sure, 
added  to  a  room  when  gas  is  used  and  the  jets 
are  turned  down  to  mere  points  only  as  large 
as  those  made  by  small  candles.  But  they  do  not 
take  the  place  of  candles,  for  with  a  candle  there  is 
a  vibration,  a  color,  a  quality  which  nothing  else 

349 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

can  emulate.  Brass  sconces  and  candles  about  the 
walls  of  a  room,  and  candles  on  tables  and  mantel- 
shelves, put  a  room  at  once  at  its  best.  Turn  up 
a  gas-jet,  protected  by  a  white  glass  globe,  and  all 
the  charm  is  dispelled.  The  color  flees  from  sofa 
cushion  and  drapery,  and  a  favorite  tone  in  a  picture 
takes  on  another  hue.  Nothing  is  the  same.  Next 
to  the  sunlight,  indeed,  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
lights  is  that  of  the  candle. 

The  aim  of  the  manufacturer  or  designer  of  any 
shade  is  to  produce  with  gas,  lamp,  or  electric  light 
the  softest  and  clearest  tones,  those  that  will  not 
destroy  the  color  of  a  room,  afflict  the  eyes,  nor 
clash  with  the  general  scheme.  To  accomplish  this, 
they  study  to  produce  a  shade  which  will  look  as  well 
by  day  as  by  night,  and  which,  for  all  its  beauty  of 
color  and  design,  will  not  prevent  the  light  from 
coming  through  with  clear  and  steady  radiance. 
This  is  done  by  a  choice  of  materials  and  by  many 
and  careful  experiments,  and  the  success  of  certain 
women  who  have  made  the  designing  of  lamp-shades 
their  profession  has  been  due  to  the  fact  that  they 
neglected  none  of  these  points. 

Present  fashion  demands  that  all  the  lamps  or 
lights  in  any  room  shall  follow  one  general  scheme 
in  both  color  and  design.  Variety  is  lent  simply 
by  the  difference  in  sizes.  Thus,  if  there  is  one 
Empire  shade  on  a  lamp,  all  the  lights  must  be 
shaded  by  Empire  shades,  and  all  must  reproduce 
the  same  colors  and  tones.  The  mixing  of  two 
or  three  fashions  and  periods  in  shades  is  as  bad  as 

35° 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  mixing  of  fashions  anywhere  else.  In  the  coun- 
try, where  a  lamp  on  the  table  is  often  unhappily  a 
necessity,  a  larger  lamp  goes  in  the  centre,  and  the 
small  candle  lamps  at  the  four  corners  are  made  to 
match. 

It  would  be  idle  to  discuss  with  great  detail 
special  patterns  in  lamp-shades,  since  the  fashion 
changes  from  year  to  year.  There  is  this  thing 
only  to  be  said :  No  lamp-shade  should  be  out  of 
key  with  its  environment.  A  shade  of  lace  ruffles 
and  flowers  is  inappropriate  in  a  den  or  a  library. 
Its  very  nature  gives  it  an  ephemeral  value,  and  it 
can  never  be  appropriate  except  in  houses,  the 
owners  of  which  are  able  to  rid  themselves  of  it 
when  shabby  without  a  thought  of  its  cost.  Like 
all  faded  finery,  these  shades  are  objectionable  the 
moment  their  first  freshness  disappears,  and  a  room 
in  which  one  of  these  old  dusty  lamp-shades  is 
cherished  has  lost  all  its  claim  for  respectability. 

The  Empire  and  the  panelled  shades  have  held 
their  own  for  several  years.  The  Empire  shades 
sold  in  this  country  differ  somewhat  from  those  sold 
in  Paris.  The  French  shade  is  more  like  a  band- 
box with  the  two  ends  knocked  out.  Ours  have 
more  of  a  slope.  These  shades  are  made  of  any 
and  every  material  —  silk,  paper,  chintz,  and  cre- 
tonne. Some  are  painted  in  water-colors,  with  roses 
and  other  flowers.  Some  have  pictures  set  in  them. 
Many  are  trimmed  with  ruchings  of  silk  or  a  nar- 
row band  of  gilt.  The  designs  are  often  most 
elaborate. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

When  the  Empire  shade  is  made  of  silk  it  is 
finely  pleated  on  the  wires  top  and  bottom,  and  the 
edges  are  finished  with  ruchings  of  silk  to  match. 
The  silk  can  be  white,  pink,  yellow,  or  cream. 
When  cretonne  is  used  on  the  Empire  shade,  it  is 
put  on  straight,  a  narrow  braid  finishes  it  on  the 
bottom ;  sometimes  a  fringe  is  used. 

Although  the  fashion  may  change  from  season 
to  season,  the  problem  of  colors  never  alters,  and 
must  always  confront  the  householder.  On  some 
bronze  lamps,  cut  metal  shades  are  seen  with  colored 
silk  linings.  The  plain  linen  shade,  pleated  and 
edged  with  silk  fringe,  has  outlasted  many  whims 
and  changes  in  taste.  Sometimes  the  linen  is  plain ; 
again  it  is  stamped  with  a  floral  design.  These 
lamp-shades  suit  many  diverse  conditions,  and  prove 
the  most  satisfactory  purchase  for  everyday  use. 

A  red  lamp-shade  is  apt  to  offend.  It  lacks 
refinement.  Yellow  is  the  most  satisfactory. 

A  good  lamp  or  candle  shade  may  be  made  of  a 
flowered  wall-paper,  the  border  edged  with  gilt 
braid  or  trimmed  with  a  ruching  of  tissue  paper 
matching  either  a  blossom  or  a  sprig. 

The  lamp-shade  of  plain  lace  has  never  been 
altogether  dethroned.  Different  colored  silks  are 
put  under  the  lace,  which  is  sometimes  drawn  plain 
over  the  color,  and  sometimes  fulled.  When  it  is 
used  a  lace  edging  takes  the  place  of  the  fringe. 
The  shapes  of  the  frames  vary.  Like  bonnet 
frames,  they  change  from  year  to  year.  New  frames 
can  always  be  had  and  the  lace  fitted  to  them. 

352 


An  excellent  shade  is  made  of  cut  cardboard 
made  up  over  thin  white  silk  and  trimmed  with  a 
fall  of  lace  about  the  bottom.  When  there  is  elec- 
tricity in  the  house,  candelabra  are  often  utilized  for 
the  mantel,  the  electric  wires  be- 
ing made  to  run  up  the  backs  of 
the  candlesticks,  where  they  re- 
main visible.  Thus  a  pair  of 
glass  candelabra  may  be  utilized 
on  a  mantel  where  the  decoration 
of  the  rest  of  the  room  permits, 
the  electric  wire  running  up 
through  the  porcelain  candle,  and 
the  light  being  shaded  by  white 
silk  trimmed  with  thick  white 
crystal  fringe  that  is  always  scin- 
tillating. Electric  lights,  by  the 
way,  are  used  in  many  lamps 
which  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
seem  those  of  oil. 

Exquisite  pieces  of  bronzes  are 
used  for  holding  electric  lights  on 
tables,  and  many  householders 
pride  themselves  on  the  collection 
of  these  picked  up  in  the  various  *  sta<£e  iewels*  9] 
parts  of  Europe. 

When  one  has  a  chandelier  in-       Sides. 
teresting  effects  are  produced  by  small  perforated 
brass  crowns  set  with  pieces  of  glass,  cut  like  jewels, 
placed  about  the  burners,  each  jet  being  turned  to  a 
mere  point. 

23  353 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

If  no  more  specific  directions  are  given  about  the 
choice  for  shades  and  the  fashion  for  cutting  them, 
it  is  because  no  one  general  rule  can  be  laid  down 
for  their  selection,  except  that  which  is  covered  by 
a  question  of  its  color.  It  often  seems  to  me  that 
there  is  no  more  difficult  problem  in  a  house  than 
that  of  making  its  lights  agreeable.  A  lamp  suit- 
able for  one  room  will  throw  another  out  of  key. 
The  color  used  in  an  electric  bulb  must  be  quite 
different  from  that  used  over  a  gas-jet,  since  one 
light  is  white  and  the  other  yellow  by  comparison. 
It  is  only  by  constant  study  and  experiment  that  the 
problem  can  be  solved,  and  this  study  and  these  experi- 
ments are  urged  upon  every  householder  if  she  would 
make  her  home  interesting.  What  she  should 
avoid  are  fluffy  and  millinery  effects,  as  if  spring 
bonnets  had  been  under  consideration,  not  lights. 
The  designs  for  the  lamps  themselves  even  are  not 
always  good,  and  one  must  often  search  through 
many  stores  and  establishments  before  a  right  selec- 
tion can  be  made.  There  is  always  a  dignity  about 
a  student  lamp  which  no  one  can  gainsay.  The 
simpler  the  form  of  the  lamp,  the  better,  unless 
one  can  afford  all  the  beauties  and  intricacies  of 
elaborate  and  costly  inlays  and  carvings,  and  even 
with  these  the  eyes  must  be  respected,  and  the  qual- 
ity of  the  light  studied. 


354 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXV 

PICTURE    HANGING    AND    FRAMING 

IT  is  quite  thirty  years  —  and  I  've  not  forgot- 
ten it  yet  —  since  the  framed  photograph  of 
a  young  woman  hung  between  the  two 
front  windows  of  a  conventional  long  and 
narrow  parlor  —  the  very  long  and  very 
narrow  parlor  of  a  house  in  a  certain  city 
block.  Such  a  modest,  shrinking,  sweet 
young  woman  —  she  of  the  picture  !  It 
seemed  unkind  to  have  placed  her  there, 
the  only  picture  on  all  that  bare  expanse 
of  wall ;  unkind  not  to  have  given  her 
some  encouragement  or  support.  I  dis- 
covered afterward  that  at  school  this  young 
girl  and  the  owner  of  the  house  had  been 
room-mates.  I  've  always  believed  that 
this  photograph,  four  by  five,  was  the  only 
picture  the  mistress  of  the  mansion  possessed.  I 
can  remember  after  all  these  years  just  how  the 
frame  looked,  made  up  of  pieces  of  finely  fluted 
wood  that  projected  at  the  corners  like  a  cross. 

Framed  photographs  and  crayons  of  the  family 
or  of  friends  are  out  of  place  on  the  walls  of  a 
parlor,  except  in  rare  instances.  Within  the  past  few 
years  the  fashion  has  grown  of  having  photographs 

355 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

of  people  framed  in  silver  or  gold,  or  circlets  of  rhine- 
stones  and  brilliants,  or  in  embroidered  damask  or 
brocade  and  covered  with  glass ;  but  these  pictures 
are  not  put  up  on  the  parlor  walls  unless  at  times  a 
group  of  them  is  made  in  some  one  place,  over  a  sofa 
or  a  writing-table,  the  fact  of  their  being  grouped 
suggesting  in  itself  a  well-defined  purpose.  A  group- 
ing of  miniatures  in  this  way,  especially  over  some 
old-fashioned  mantelpieces,  is  most  interesting  at 
times.  Ordinarily,  however,  that  to  which  we  pay 
the  distinction  of  a  place  on  our  walls  must  have 
some  merit  of  its  own  apart  from  its  sentiment. 
Some  of  us  besides  have  a  natural  shrinking  from 
putting  the  photographs  of  those  we  love  on  the 
walls  for  every  one  to  look  at.  A  portrait  is  an- 
other affair.  The  work  of  the  painter  then  assumes 
an  importance  which  overbalances  the  question  of 
personal  sentiment. 

Unless  one  has  a  single  great  picture  for  which  a 
special  place  has  been  made,  as  over  a  fireplace  or 
an  altar,  no  picture  is  hung  to  stay.  The  acquisi- 
tion of  a  new  painting  will  necessitate  the  rehanging 
of  all.  Moreover,  some  of  us  outgrow  the  pictures 
that  at  one  time  we  thought  beautiful,  and  are  glad 
to  replace  them,  or  to  live  with  bare  wall-spaces 
instead.  There  are  certain  pictures,  too,  which  try 
one's  nerves  by  and  by.  Set,  sweet  smiles  on  young 
faces  get  to  be  unendurable.  Any  suspended  action 
always  does,  worrying  us  into  positive  dislikes  of  the 
object  which  seems  never  able  to  complete  an  act  it 
has  already  begun,  and  sometimes  elicited  our  sym- 

356 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

pathies  for.  All  of  this  proves  that  our  pictures 
are  movable  properties,  and  that  although  we  may 
arrange  them  to  our  liking  to-day,  to-morrow  we 
may  be  quite  willing  or  obliged  to  do  our  work 
over. 

No  great  picture  affects  our  nerves  in  this  same 
way,  for  in  great  pictures  there  is  always  an  element 
of  repose  ;  but  then,  few  of  us  possess  great  pictures. 
Those  of  us  who  do,  give  them  established  places 
which  are  never  changed  ;  for  such  a  picture  belongs 
to  the  very  structure  of  a  home  and  is  interwoven 
with  its  sentiments. 

Now  and  then  one  runs  across  a  man  who  has 
whims  about  his  pictures.  He  will  possess  several 
that  a  museum  might  covet,  and  these  he  will  conceal, 
bringing  out  but  one  at  a  time  in  order  to  enjoy  it  for 
a  little  —  a  month  or  two,  perhaps.  Then  he  puts 
it  away  and  brings  out  another,  to  enjoy  that  also  for 
a  space.  His  theory  about  picture-hanging  is  a 
simple  one  —  only  that  picture  which  is  worth  living 
with,  and  that  one  by  itself. 

With  the  rest  of  us  the  temptation  is  to  cover  our 
walls,  to  fill  up  empty  spaces,  forgetting  that  empty 
spaces  are  often  a  relief.  The  majority  of  us  live 
shut  in  by  houses  for  which  the  architect  has  done 
nothing,  and  which  the  paper-hanger  has  not  im- 
proved. Of  all  these  walls  none  is  so  hard  to 
arrange  with  pictures  as  that  of  the  long,  narrow 
parlor  with  its  fireplace  a  dozen  feet  from  the  win- 
dow on  one  side  and  the  folding-doors  on  the  other. 
Almost  any  picture  hung  here,  unless  it  has  suffi- 

357 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

cient  size  and  importance  to  be  made  a  centre,  would 
become  a  spot.  Moreover,  if  there  is  nothing 
beneath  the  picture,  no  piece  of  furniture  with  size 
enough  to  make  it  worth  considering  as  a  foundation, 
there  is  no  way  of  making  the  picture  part  of  a  com- 
position, properly  supported  from  below.  We  all 


know  how  awkward  the  effect  is  of  a  huge,  solitary, 
heavily  framed  picture  on  a  light  wall  with  nothing 
above  or  below  it.  It  never  seems  to  have  any 
place  there. 

One  of  the  cleverest  of  my  acquaintances  insists 
that  pictures  should  be  hung  according  to  certain 

358 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

laws  of  construction  —  a  strong  base  below,  a  large 
centrepiece  above,  and  a  higher  point  above  this. 
"  Then,"  to  quote  from  this  particular  authority, 
"  you  get  the  triangle,  or  you  get  the  arch  and  you 
do  not  violate  the  architectural  laws." 

The  strong  base  may  be  a  sofa  against  the  wall, 
or  a  bookcase,  or  a  large  table.  The  centrepiece 
must  be  an  important  picture.  It  may  be  square 
or  oblong.  Again,  it  may  be  built  about  with  two 
uprights  on  the  side,  but  the  base  must  be  wider  than 
the  structure  above  and  there  must  be  a  highest 
point  of  apex. 

Pictures  may  be  arranged  in  panels,  side  by  side, 
each  panel  matching  the  other  in  size. 

There  are  some  people,  on  the  other  hand,  who 
insist  that  the  putting  of  one  picture  in  the  centre 
and  then  building  about  it  must  be  conventional 
and  tiresome.  Their  plan  is  to  arrange  pictures 
with  some  irregularity  (see  diagram).  No  one  pic- 
ture, it  will  be  observed,  is  on  a  line  with  the  other. 

In  a  room,  not  a  picture-gallery,  the  best  of  one's 
pictures  go  over  the  fireplace.  It  is  the  place  of 
honor  accorded  to  that  which  one  values  most. 
When  such  a  picture  was  owned  before  the  room 
was  built,  the  architect  generally  makes  it  part  of 
his  plan  and  encloses  it  as  in  a  frame  with  the  wood 
or  the  stone  of  the  fireplace. 

The  wire  or  support  of  the  picture  should  never 
show,  although  the  question  of  injuring  the  wall  has 
to  be  considered  at  times,  and  the  wire  or  support 
left  in  evidence. 

359 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  proper  framing  of  a  picture  is  a  question 
with  which  every  artist  of  note  concerns  himself.  It 
is  certainly  not  a  subject  which  the  amateur  should 
neglect.  Pictures  should  be  taken  to  a  dealer,  mats 


sViowiarf  1fee  erra-nrfe  me  -rlt"  ^L  pi 


and  frames  tried  on  with  the  same  care  —  indeed,  with 
even  more  care  —  than  one  expends  in  the  choosing 
of  a  bonnet.  Primarily  the  nature  and  character  of 
the  picture  must  be  considered.  A  mat  of  one  color 

360 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

may  destroy  some  subtle  tone  of  the  painter,  another 
may  serve  its  legitimate  purpose  and  frame  it.  Only 
by  experiment  can  the  point  be  proved.  After  the 
mat  comes  the  frame,  the  size,  its  quality,  its  color. 
Every  frame-maker  has  an  assortment  to  submit 
to  every  customer.  Besides  this  he  is  constantly 
experimenting  in  stains,  so  that  dozens  of  different 
woods  of  various  tones  and  textures  are  to  be  found 
in  the  shop  and  he  is  willing  to  go  to  work  to  pro- 
duce others.  A  good  frame-maker  will  take  infinite 
pains  to  tone  his  frames  and  his  mats  with  his  pic- 
tures and  consume  days  in  hunting  through  various 
other  establishments  to  get  just  the  right  quality  for 
a  mat.  The  question,  therefore,  of  fashions  in  fram- 
ing ought  not  to  arise,  unless  some  interesting  de- 
parture has  been  made  by  an  artist  of  note,  and  the 
rest  of  us,  recognizing  his  principle,  adopts  it. 

I  do  not  know  who  it  was  who  proved  to  us  first 
how  much  better  certain  photographs  of  the  masters 
looked  without  mats,  and  framed  simply  with  the 
wood  and  toned  with  the  dark  of  the  picture,  but 
whoever  it  was  he  has  made  himself  many  followers, 
so  that  almost  every  picture  of  the  kind  has  a  wide 
wooden  frame  and  no  mat. 

White  mats  should  never  be  used  on  dark  walls, 
and  indeed  no  picture  should  be  framed  without 
some  thought  of  the  wall  on  which  it  is  to  be  hung. 
White  frames  and  mats  on  dark  walls  give  to  a  room 
a  look  of  being  plastered  with  postage-stamps.  Every 
frame  and  mat  is  felt,  but  the  pictures  themselves 
are  forgotten. 

361 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

No  picture  by  its  setting  wants  to  be  made  to 
stand  out  and  claim  recognition  for  itself.  Its  ex- 
cellence may  compel  you,  but  its  framework  should 
not ;  especially  is  this  true  in  the  rooms  of  the 
dwelling-house,  where  pictures  are  like  companions, 
—  never  so  charming  as  when  they  lack  insistence. 


362 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXVI 

THE    DECORATIVE    POSSIBILITIES    IN 

PLASTER    CASTS 

p^ 

TT7ITH  discretion  and  a  little  money  al- 
*    VV     most  any  house   may  be  made  inter- 
esting with   plaster  casts.     This  discretion,  it 
goes   without   saying,    must   be    dis- 
played in  the  choice  which  the  buyer 
makes.     The  streets   of  large  cities 
are  full  of  image-venders ;  large  and 
important   stores   on   principal    ave- 
nues  are   now  devoted    to    repro- 
£Q:    ductions  in  plaster,  so  that  one 
is  no  longer  obliged   to  search, 


°  except  for  purposes  of  economy,  in 

narrow  side  streets  or  tenement-house  dis- 
tricts, as  one  was  obliged  to  do  not  so  many 
years  since. 

These  large  stores,  of  course,  have  care- 
s<,    fully  selected  examples,   and   one  pays   for 
the  knowledge  and  judgment  of  the  shop- 
keeper.     But   if   one    has    money    enough, 
these  stores  are  always  to  be  recommended, 
more  particularly  when  one  does  not  know 
(k_Jy  what  to  buy.    The  grotesque  and  the  ephem- 

eral  are   avoided   in   them,   and  when   the 
363 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

grotesque  is  indulged  in,  as  when  the  gargoyles  of 
Notre  Dame  are  shown,  it  is  because  a  special  genius 
has  stamped  it,  or  because  some  historical  associa- 
tion has  made  it  famous. 

The  image-venders,  on  the  other  hand,  carry  every- 
thing in  their  heavily  laden  baskets,  displaying  on 
the  steps  of  some  empty  house  worthless  casts  of 
diving  women  together  with  the  head  of  the  Venus 
de  Milo  or  the  marvellous  "  Winged  Victory,"  pipe- 
rests,  and  busts  of  French  dancers.  They  have 
among  all  their  trash  some  good  examples,  and  they 
come  from  out  of  the  way  shops  in  which  any  num- 
ber of  other  good  models  may  be  found.  Every 
example,  for  instance,  shown  in  the  illustrations 
has  been  purchased  from  a  street  vender  with  the 
exception  of  the  beautiful  Andromeda,  by  Bauer,  on 
which  there  is  a  copyright,  so  that  it  is  only  sold 
in  certain  places,  and  the  lovely  Tanagra  figurine 
reproduced  for  museums. 

The  image- vender  carries  all  of  these  in  his  bas- 
kets, none  of  them  more  than  seventy-five  cents, 
in  many  cases  only  fifty  or  twenty-five,  and,  if 
desired,  he  will  tone  the  casts  with  yellow  without 
extra  charge.  One  must  remember  that  the  pure 
white  cast,  while  agreeable  in  certain  places,  is  often 
too  strongly  accentuated  in  others,  so  that  toning 
becomes  a  necessity. 

One  wants,  of  course,  to  avoid  making  a  "  spot " 
of  a  plaster  cast.  For  instance,  one  small  cast  on  a 
dark  wall  with  nothing  about  it  in  the  way  of  pic- 
tures or  books  is  apt  to  prove  the  only  visible  thing 

364 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

in  a  room.  On  the  other  hand,  when  a  cast  is  large 
and  important,  it  may  be  treated  with  the  dignity 
that  one  observes  in  hanging  pictures,  as  that 
famous  group  of  "  Singing  Boys,"  by  Luca  della 
Robbia,  in  bas-relief,  from  the  Duomo  at  Florence. 
This  deserves  a  place  to  itself  over  a  mantelpiece, 
or  a  panel  at  one  side  of  the  room  may  be  given 
to  it.  So,  too,  many  of  the  Madonnas,  always  in 
bas-relief,  may  be  treated. 

The  "  Saint  Cecilia "  is  well  known,  and  is  to 
be  found  in  almost  every  group  of  plaster  casts. 
It  is  in  bas-relief.  It  has  been  toned  to  a  yellow, 
although  it  is  even  more  lovely  in  pure  white. 
This,  too,  deserves  a  panel  to  itself,  and  should 
be  treated  with  dignity.  It  is  shown  in  one  illus- 
tration beside  a  church  banner,  and  with  hanging 
lamps  from  churches  about  it.  It  should  always 
be  placed  where  it  can  be  looked  at,  and  never 
hung  to  fill  in. 

Many  names  have  been  given  to  "  The  Diver," 
by  Thorwaldsen :  like  the  "  Narcissus,"  he  costs 
but  fifty  cents  from  a  vender.  In  stores  he  some- 
times costs  many  dollars.  He  is  the  very  embodi- 
ment of  strength,  vigilance,  and  manly  courage, 
and  becomes  a  companion  in  almost  any  room. 

All  of  the  large  stores  and  most  of  the  better- 
known  image-venders  publish  catalogues  of  casts, 
with  their  names  and  prices.  These  catalogues  are 
sometimes  of  great  service,  although  I  have  never 
chanced  to  find  in  any  of  them  the  name  of  a  little 
bas-relief  I  have  known  for  years.  It  is  a  very 

365 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

beautiful  Madonna,  with  exquisite  face,  and  her 
hands  folded  across  her  breast,  looking  down  at 
the  infant  Jesus  and  St.  John.  The  young  Italian 
image-vender  who  gave  it  to  me  one  Christmas 
years  ago  told  me  that  it  came  from  the  altar  of  an 
Italian  church,  where  it  was  considered  so  precious 
that  the  doors  of  a  small  shrine  were  always  kept 
closed  before  it.  He  added  that  a  priest  had  allowed 
a  young  sculptor  to  take  a  cast  of  it  at  night,  the 
man  stealing  in  through  a  window  to  do  so.  At 
any  rate,  some  ten  or  eleven  years  ago  not  many 
had  been  seen  in  this  country.  And  yet  it  now 
costs  but  twenty-five  cents,  its  staining  not  being 
counted  extra.  It  is  too  small  to  be  treated  by 
itself  unless  a  special  panel  is  prepared  for  it. 

Barye,  the  famous  French  sculptor,  who  died  in 
1875,  made  the  four  groups  of  animals  shown  out- 
side the  Louvre  in  Paris.  These  belong  to  the 
history  of  art,  and  almost  every  image-vender  has 
one  of  his  casts,  some  good  models  having  been 
put  on  the  market.  His  "  Tiger  Devouring  a 
Crocodile,"  and  a  beautiful  lioness  are  also  sold. 
None  of  these  is  expensive,  —  the  lion  costing  but 
fifty  cents.  The  cost  of  it  in  bronze  is  enormous, 
and  well  out  of  the  reach  of  most  of  us.  But  the 
fifty  and  seventy-five  cent  casts  of  it  give  us  the 
form  and  the  movement  and  wonderful  detail.  I 
do  not  know  where  the  mould  was  secured,  nor 
whether  it  is  made  from  one  used  for  the  bronzes, 
but  everything  in  all  these  casts  depends  on  the 
mould.  The  image-vender  endeavors  to  get  the 

366 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

best,  and  goes  to  Europe  to  find  new  ones.  Occa- 
sionally he  is  permitted  to  take  a  cast  of  some 
original  statue,  just  as  the  young  Italian  sculptor 
did  in  the  church  at  night.  Or  he  is  fortunate 
enough  to  get  a  mould  from  some  cast  in  a  museum. 
Then  his  fortune  is  made.  Very  few  of  the  small 
casts  of  the  Venus  of  Milo,  however,  are  made  from 
beautiful  models,  and  I  have  never  seen  a  small 
one  that  did  not  disappoint  me.  I  never  buy  one. 
The  casts  of  the  "  Winged  Victory  "  are  better, 
especially  when  made  from  a  large  model,  but 
then  they  cost  some  six  or  eight  dollars,  and  must 
be  given  a  place  by  themselves. 

"  The  Narcissus,"  on  the  other  hand,  is  beautiful 
wherever  placed,  although  the  smaller  models  show 
a  bad  forefinger.  The  original  is  in  the  Museum 
at  Naples  among  the  group  of  masterpieces.  Its 
beauty  all  the  world  has  recognized. 

Casts  should  never  be  draped  with  silk.  Silk 
may  be  hung  as  a  background ;  and  when  this  is 
done  a  great  value  is  often  lent.  But  the  fashion 
of  draping  bits  of  modern  silk  about  a  cast  is  always 
bad.  The  two  do  not  belong  together,  and  when 
so  placed  merely  indicate  that  one  is  striving  for 
an  effect  without  knowledge  of  how  it  should  be 
attained.  At  the  same  time  a  bas-relief  may  be 
hung  above  a  mantel  over  a  piece  of  silk  falling 
straight. 

Any  number  of  other  models  might  be  named. 
But  enough  has  been  said  to  prove  how  easily  a 
plaster  cast  lends  itself  to  decorative  purposes,  and 

367 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  the  pleasure  of  the  householder  as  well.  That 
it  involves  no  serious  outlay  has  been  shown.  Fifty 
cents  is  about  the  average  price,  a  good  cast  being 
always  possible  for  that  sum.  An  interesting  use 
of  a  large  bas-relief  has  been  referred  to  as  forming 
the  headpiece  of  a  carved  four-poster  hung  with  fine 
apple-green  velveteen.  They  are  especially  inter- 
esting over  doors  and  over  mantelpieces. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXVII 

WRITING-TABLES  AND    PIANOS 

IT  goes  without  saying  —  that  no  writing- 
table  in  a  drawing-room  ought  to  betray  a 
familiar  touch.     It  is  not  the  place  for   pri- 
vate correspondence,  for  bills,  memo- 
randa, or  for  any  personal  possessions 
proper  to  a  desk  or  a  writing-table  in 
one's  private  apartment.     The  writ- 
ing-table in  the  drawing-room  is  purely  and 
solely  for  the  convenience  of  the  visitor,  for 
the  notes  he  may  want  to  write  when  he  has 
come  in  to  leave  a  message  in  your  absence, 
for  the  address  you  may  want  to  take  down 
as  he  gives  it  to  you,  and  only  in  an  emer- 
gency for  the  note  that  you   yourself  may 
wish  to  write. 

It  should  always  have  its  portfolio  of  more  or  less 
elaborate  design.  The  one  in  the  illustration  shows 
a  back  of  cut  silver  on  a  leather  ground.  The 
blotting-paper  should  be  spotless.  Either  in  the 
portfolio  or  in  a  separate  box,  of  silver,  brass,  or 
leather,  there  should  be  note-paper,  envelopes,  and 
a  pad.  Stamps  should  always  be  provided,  for 
while  the  good  taste  of  the  visitor  ought  to  control 
his  use  of  them,  the  forethought  of  the  hostess 
24  369 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

should  never  put  him  to  the  embarrassment  of 
having  to  look  for  one. 

The  inkstand  and  pens  should  be  looked  after 
daily  with  the  same  care  that  is  expended  on  the 
saltcellars.  The  inkstand  may  be  of  silver,  brass, 
or  even  of  crystal.  The  one  seen  in  the  illustration 
happens  to  be  a  gem  of  its  kind,  inlaid  with  tur- 
quoise and  fine  enamel,  but  every-day  mortals  may 
content  themselves  with  simpler  devices.  The 
flowers  conceal  the  electric  lamp,  but  no  writing- 
table  should  be  without  a  light  for  writing  at  night. 
It  should  always  have  flowers,  and  when  possible 
some  interesting  object  which  relieves  the  table  of 
an  office-like  character.  A  bronze  base  stands  on 
this  one.  Paper-cutters  and  letter-openers  should 
never  be  forgotten.  As  many  persons  prefer  sealing- 
wax  to  mucilage  for  their  letters,  it  is  generally 
customary  to  provide  a  small  candle,  matches,  and 
sealing-wax.  A  small  silver  spoon,  especially  de- 
signed for  the  purpose,  is  now  sold  for  the  sealing- 
wax.  The  spoon  is  held  over  the  flame  of  the 
candle,  and  when  the  wax  is  melted  it  is  poured 
over  the  envelope,  in  this  way  avoiding  all  danger 
of  a  fire  or  a  burn.  Some  of  these  spoons  are 
elaborate  in  design  and  interesting  objects  in  them- 
selves. 

The  writing-tables  of  living-rooms  and  libraries 
are  often  of  great  size,  when  a  room  itself  is  large 
enough  to  contain  them.  Thus,  there  will  be  one 
of  oak  with  dimensions  so  ample  that  two  well- 
sized  chairs  can  be  drawn  up  by  it,  and  two 

37° 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

complete  sets  of  writing  materials  be  placed  upon 
it,  without  interfering  with  each  other.  When  such 
a  table  is  of  light  oak,  brass  instead  of  silver  is 
effective  for  inkstand,  paper  cutters,  and  candle- 
sticks. 

When  a  writing-table  is  pushed  up  in  a  corner, 
between  a  window  and  a  blank  wall,  the  light  com- 
ing in  at  the  left,  the  whole  corner  can  be  most  de- 
lightfully treated  by  building  up  over  the  table  on 
the  blank  wall-space.  Thus,  rows  of  book-shelves 
may  be  made  to  run  up,  surmounted  by  a  bust ;  or 
a  picture  of  exceptional  beauty  may  be  placed  there, 
an  altar  lamp  suspended  from  the  ceiling  above. 

Any  one  unable  to  purchase  a  good  writing-table 
can  treat  an  ordinary  pine  table  with  oil,  directions 
for  which  are  given  under  a  separate  chapter.  In 
many  small  country  houses  and  studios,  such  a 
table  will  serve  every  purpose.  It  can  still  have  a 
good  cover,  cut  to  match  its  top,  and  it  can  be  set 
out  with  its  proper  appointments  and  its  flowers. 
When  the  legs  of  such  a  table  are  square,  they  can 
be  covered  with  a  brocade  or  a  cretonne,  nailed  on 
with  brass-headed  tacks,  the  same  material  being 
used  as  a  cover. 

Very  many  writing-tables  have  no  covers.  One 
sees  this  in  beautiful  libraries,  where  the  table  is  of 
genuine  old  oak,  waxed,  never  varnished.  Some- 
times a  blotter  with  silver  corners  is  placed ;  some- 
times the  portfolio  is  so  large  that  when  spread 
open  the  blotting-paper  inside  acts  as  a  softening 
surface  on  which  to  write.  A  very  good  table  cover 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


(p 


is,  however,  made  of  dark  invisible  green  velveteen, 
exactly  fitting  the  top  of  the  table,  and  trimmed 
about  the  edge  with  a  gilt  gimp  sewed  flat.  This 
velveteen  sets  off  silver  or  crystal. 

The  cover  seen  in  the  illustration  is  an  old  piece 
of  embroidery  out  of  some  palace,  and  is  in  keeping 

with   all    the    other 

—~~— -~^ 

1  appointments  about 
it,  —  the  carved  ta- 
ble, the  bronze,  the 
silver  vase  of  exquis- 
ite workmanship,  the 
rare  old  inkstand, 
and  the  hanging  on 
the  door.  Pieces  of 
brocade  are  used  in 
the  same  way.  In 
fact,  one  may  be  as  extravagant  as  one  chooses  with- 
out offending  the  proprieties,  providing  only  that 
one  breaks  no  law  of  good  taste  by  displaying  the 
tawdry.  With  simple  leather  or  brass  one  may  do 
without  silver  and  still  make  the  writing-table  inter- 
esting. One  should  neglect  none  of  its  require- 
ments. 

No  upright  piano  should  cut  across  a  corner,  with 
its  keys  toward  the  room.  I  make  special  insistence 
upon  this  point,  recalling  as  I  do  the  numbers  of 
diagrams  sent  me  from  all  over  the  country,  in 
almost  every  instance  showing  me  a  piano  cutting 
the  corner  of  a  room.  Few  things  are  more  awk- 
ward. The  empty  corner  can  never  be  filled,  and  a 

372 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

constant  view  of  the  keyboard  is  not  beautiful.  The 
customary  way  now  followed  is  to  place  a  piano  at 
right  angles  to  a  wall,  its  keys  in  this  way  concealed. 
In  conventional  high-stoop  houses  with  front  and 
back  parlors,  the  piano  stands  in  front  of  one  of  the 
windows,  its  keys  to  the  right.  The  back  of  the 
piano  is  then  draped  with  a  piece  of  rich  brocade. 
Against  this,  at  one  end,  is  a  table  set  out  with 
photographs  and  silver  frames,  a  lamp  and  flow- 
ers, the  piano  making  a  background  for  the  table. 
This  table  is  not  for  decoration  only,  but  for  the 
convenience  of  persons  occupying  the  sofa,  pushed 
flat  against  the  wall,  and  coming,  therefore,  at  right 
angles  to  the  piano.  The  top  of  the  table  is  gen- 
erally covered  with  a  piece  of  rich  brocade,  which, 
however,  does  not  fall  over  its  sides. 

Sometimes  the  piano  is  put  into  a  corner  and 
lighted  with  candelabra.  A  small  sofa  is  then 
drawn  up  in  front.  Such  an  arrangement  brings  it 
at  right  angles  to  the  open  fire  ;  while  the  musician 
at  the  keys  is  concealed,  the  general  effect  is  greatly 
enhanced. 

When  it  is  necessary  to  have  the  keys  exposed, 
much  interest  is  added  to  the  general  composition 
by  a  pair  of  tall  cathedral  candlesticks  set  on  the 
floor  on  either  side  of  the  seat. 

The  piano  no  longer  is  allowed  to  overpower  the 
room  in  which  it  stands.  The  long-established  rule 
about  its  position  of  importance  in  a  room,  its  being 
kept  without  anything  on  its  top,  the  turning  of  its 
keys  so  as  to  make  them  the  most  conspicuous 

373 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

features  in  an  apartment  —  all  these  old  ways  of  doing 
have  departed.  It  is  all  well  enough  for  a  public 
performer  to  sit  so  that  an  audience  may  have  an 
uninterrupted  view  of  his  fingers,  for  an  audience 
wants  to  know  how  a  musician  plays  ;  but  in  every- 
day houses  and  lives,  music  is  for  the  entertainment 
of  a  family  circle,  and  but  small  contributions  to  that 
entertainment  are  made  by  a  view  of  a  timid  or  em- 
barrassed player.  Besides,  there  is  always  a  little 


touch  of  mystery  and  sentiment  lent  to  a  player 
concealed  behind  the  keys.  For  that  reason  the 
fashion  has  grown  of  concealing  the  keys  of  an 
upright  piano.  Very  often,  instead  of  a  piano- 
stool  a  carved  bench  out  of  some  foreign  church 
is  used,  so  that  many  young  women  when  playing 
might  well  remind  one  by  their  air  of  Saint 
Cecilia. 

Cheap  silks  on  the  backs  of  upright  pianos  are 
374 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

always  to  be  avoided.  China  silks  and  printed 
stuffs  looped  and  tied  in  impossible  knots  are  very 
objectionable.  The  handsome  scarf  shown  in  the 
illustration  is  an  old  altar-cloth  of  white  satin,  em- 
broidered in  gold  and  silver  as  only  those  old  nuns 
understood  the  art.  But  it  would  be  better  to  have 
no  hanging  than  to  substitute  a  piece  of  cheap  ma- 
terial for  this,  which  is  purely  ornamental  in  its 
character.  When  some  piece  of  stuff  serves  a 
purpose  of  utility,  the  case  is  altered.  It  may  be 
as  plain  as  necessity  requires.  For  that  reason  one 
may  put  a  piece  of  China  silk  or  figured  material  on 
the  back  of  an  upright  piano,  if  one  has  nothing 
better  to  use  in  its  place,  because  the  back  of  an 
upright  piano  must  be  concealed  to  be  made  endur- 
able, the  wires  and  works  showing,  as  they  do  not 
in  the  case  of  a  grand  piano. 

When  the  keys  of  a  grand  piano  are  toward  a 
wall  and  the  end  projects  into  the  room,  it  is  cus- 
tomary to  throw  over  this  end  any  beautiful  piece 
of  embroidery  which  one  possesses.  Sometimes  the 
finest  of  old  brocades  are  used  in  this  way,  —  never 
anything  of  wool,  or  coarse  enough  in  texture  to 
scratch.  A  fern  or  a  vase  of  American  Beauties 
will  hold  the  embroidery  in  place.  A  small  sofa 
is  often  placed  at  the  end  of  a  piano,  especially 
when  the  end  reaches  the  mantelpiece,  so  that  two 
persons  may  sit  with  their  tea-cups  by  the  fire  while 
a  "  tuneful  melody  "  is  being  played  just  back  of 
them.  This  is  a  favorite  way  of  arranging  old- 
fashioned  drawing-rooms  in  New  York,  where  the 

375 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

fireplace  is  in  the  centre  of  the  wall  directly  opposite 
the  door,  the  dining-room  opening  by  folding-doors 
in  the  back.  The  space  between  the  folding-doors 
and  the  mantelpiece  is  generally  utilized  in  this  way 
for  the  grand  or  square  piano. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

DIVANS 

O  divan  should  seem  an  excrescence  in  a 
room,  a  newly  acquired  purchase,  a  sug- 
gestion borrowed 
from  a  neighbor, 
a  general   catch- 


all  for  pillows  of 
every  hue  and 
description  rep- 
resenting the 
work  of  amateur 
needles,  Christ- 
mas gifts  from 
friends,  and  purchases  made  on  bargain  counters. 

Although  a  divan  with  its  cushions  should  be 
made  part  of  a  distinct  composition,  this  composi- 
tion should  not  be  so  strongly  emphasized  that  it 
proclaims  itself  over  and  above  every  other  feature 
in  a  room.  The  ordinary  divan  unhappily  does 
this. 

Into  a  room  with  matting  on  the  floor,  a  divan 
hung  with  Turkish  stuffs  will  be  introduced ;  thick 
hangings  appropriate  for  out-of-door  places  will  be 
looped  over  spears,  or  fish-nets  will  be  used,  sus- 

377 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

pended  tent-fashion  over  the  divan.  Such  an  ar- 
rangement may  be  well  enough  in  studios,  when  a 
room  is  large  enough  to  subordinate  them,  and 
when  the  very  nature  of  the  environment  makes 
possible  a  variety  of  effects.  They  are  at  times 
delightful  in  camps,  but  they  are  quite  out  of  the 
question  in  ordinary  houses,  and  altogether  objec- 
tionable in  small  every-day  rooms  and  apartments. 

The  most  perfect  example  of  a  divan  and  its 
surroundings  that  I  know  is  that  which  is  found  in 
the  studio  of  an  American  artist  living  in  Paris. 
(See  illustration.) 

Every  detail  has  been  carefully  studied.  Nearly 
all  the  materials  are  genuine,  and  belong  to  some 
one  distinct  period  of  Moorish  art,  —  the  hangings, 
the  plaques,  the  pots.  It  will  be  noticed  that  no 
attempt  has  been  made  at  drapery,  and  that  there- 
fore there  is  no  possibility  for  any  hanging  being 
made  a  receptacle  for  dust.  The  drapery  at  the 
top  does  not  fall  far  out  over  the  divan,  and  was 
placed  there  to  break  the  uninteresting  wall  above. 
The  geometrical  designs  shown  are  embroidered  in 
silk  on  gauze  of  a  soft  old  yellow.  The  thin, 
light  bars  are  linen  embroidered  in  silk.  The 
divan,  which  is  long  and  wide,  is  covered  with  old- 
rose  on  a  gold  ground.  The  pillows  are  covered 
with  embroideries  to  match.  The  artist  devoted 
many  years  to  the  collection  of  these  materials. 

The  color  for  a  divan  must  be  studied  from  the 
point  where  it  touches  the  floor,  over  the  mattress, 
to  the  ceiling.  The  color  should  not  only  blend 

378 


"EVERY    DETAIL    HAS    BEEN    CAREFULLY    STUDIED' 


HOMES  AND   THEIR   DECORATION 


with  that  of  the  floor-covering,  but  with  that  of 
the  wall-space  or  the  background,  from  which  it 
blends  with  the  colors  above.  A  divan  uphol- 

379 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

stered  in  green  may,  for  instance,  be  out  of  the 
question  in  a  room  hung  with  green,  even  when 
the  rest  of  the  furniture  is  covered  with  the  same 
material.  This  difficulty  would  arise  in  a  room  in 
which  a  divan  was  placed  directly  in  front  of  a  dark 
bookcase  filled  with  colored  bindings,  the  floor  be- 
ing covered  with  a  Cashmere  rug  in  which  blues 
appeared  among  the  yellows  and  the  reds.  The 
green  of  the  other  pieces  of  furniture  would  have 
been  separated  from  the  rug  by  an  empty  space, 
and  by  the  polished  mahogany  of  the  framework. 
The  green  of  the  curtains  would  have  been  sepa- 
rated by  the  dark  stain  of  the  floor  bordering  the 
rug.  The  divan,  however,  having  no  wooden 
framework  and  running  to  the  floor,  would,  with  its 
cover,  come  against  that  of  the  rug,  and  should  be 
considered  in  relation  to  it. 

Such  a  divan,  then,  should  be  covered  with  a 
figured  stuff,  that  the  break  between  the  floor  and 
the  background  would  not  be  felt.  To  use  a  plain 
green  would  be  to  introduce  a  streak.  The  figured 
stuff  should  repeat  some  of  the  colors  of  the  rug. 
Its  cushions  again  should  take  up  these  colors,  yet 
make  one  tone  predominate,  —  a  yellow,  for  in- 
stance ;  if  there  were  much  yellow  in  the  room, 
perhaps  a  figured  yellow,  like  that  of  shadow  silk. 

A  bookcase  makes  an  excellent  background  for  a 
divan,  with  pictures  above.  This  brings  a  book 
just  within  reach  of  the  hand.  The  shelves,  when 
they  are  wide  enough,  become  convenient  resting- 
places  for  pipes  and  letters. 

380 


"THE    UPHOLSTERER    CAN    MAKE    A    BACKGROUND    TO    MATCH    THE    DIVAN 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  upholsterer  can  make  a  background  to 
match  the  divan  (see  illustration),  which  in  reality 
transforms  the  divan  into  an  article  of  furniture 
possessing  a  certain  formality,  suggesting  less  of  a 
lounging  place  than  one  for  sitting  upright,  which  is 
as  well  in  some  rooms. 

When  this  soft  background  is  not  possible,  one 
must  be  made  with  a  row  of  cushions,  these  cush- 
ions to  be  of  hair,  or  of  patent  felt,  since  they  are 
only  intended  for  the  support  of  the  softer  down 
cushions  in  front  of  them.  The  color  and  texture 
of  these  harder  cushions  is  often  that  of  the  divan 
itself;  the  soft  silk  cushions  give  the  other  color 
notes. 

Above  the  line  formed  by  the  tops  of  the  hard 
cushions,  a  mirror,  the  length  of  the  divan,  is  in- 
troduced, making  an  excellent  composition,  espe- 
cially when  the  divan  fills  an  angle  with  a  window 
at  one  end  and  a  door  at  the  other. 

Sometimes  a  small  shelf  runs  above  the  cushions, 
set  out  with  books  and  candles  or  a  lamp,  over 
which  is  hung  a  large  picture  or  bas-relief. 

Every  color  or  combination  of  colors  introduced 
in  the  cushions  of  a  divan  should  be  studied  in 
relation  to  each  other  and  to  the  room  itself.  The 
idea  of  the  heterogeneous,  the  tossed  and  the  tum- 
bled together,  the  flying  off  at  a  tangent  after  new 
fashions  and  fads,  without  regard  to  the  environ- 
ment in  which  they  are  to  be  placed,  the  look  of 
being  copied  out  of  fashion  journals  and  introduced 
carelessly,  —  all  these  things  should  be  avoided. 

381 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

An  opportunity  for  introducing  delightful  effects  in 
color  and  design  is  presented  by  the  divan,  and 
it  is  only  when  this  is  accomplished  that  this  piece 
of  furniture  is  made  to  lose  the  tumbled,  careless  air 
which  makes  it  so  objectionable  in  many  parlors. 

In  living-rooms  of  cabins  and  mountain  houses, 
cots  covered  with  stuffs  and  filled  with  cushions 
make  excellent  divans,  except  for  one  defect.  If 
the  mattress  be  thin  it  sinks,  and  the  framework 
of  the  cot  cuts  the  leg  of  the  person  who  sits  there. 
This  trouble  is  obviated  if  a  box  spring  is  used. 

The  custom  of  having  divans  made  with  a  box 
underneath  for  holding  dresses  is  an  excellent  one 
for  those  living  in  cramped  quarters. 

The  average  height  of  a  well-constructed  divan  is 
sixteen  inches.  When  it  is  thirty  or  more  inches 
wide  it  makes  a  good  sleeping  place,  but  must  then 
be  treated  with  taste  if  any  one  is  to  sit  on  it  and 
not  lounge.  A  divan  twenty-seven  inches  wide  is 

more  easilv  treated. 

• 


382 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

MOUNTAIN    CAMPS    AND    HOLI- 
DAY   RETREATS 


)U 


fact  that  one  is  able  to 
do  as  one  pleases,  to  build 
after   no    law,   to   furnish 
after   no   particular    fash- 
ion,   makes    a    camp    or 
holiday  house   delightful. 
The  whim  of  the  individ- 
ual rules.     If  one  person 
finds   comfort   in   a  tent, 
he  is  at  liberty  to  sleep 
under  canvas  ;   if  another 
likes  best  rough  bark  and 
no  plaster,  he  can  indulge  him- 
self without  comment  from   his 
friends. 

It  has  been  my  good  fortune 
at  several  times  in  my  life  to 
spend  months  in  some  of  these 
camps  or  clubs  or  holiday  retreats.  No  one  name 
applies  to  them  all.  I  have  never  yet  seen  any  two 
cabins  or  tents  exactly  alike,  although  by  common 
consent  the  same  materials  are  everywhere  employed. 
Rough  bark  is  used,  and  if  stone  or  shingles  do 

383 


appear  every  effort  is  made  to  take  away  the  "  cot- 
tage "  look ;  the  look  of  houses  put  up  in  rows 
along  a  village  street ;  or  of  imitation  Swiss  chalets, 
with  their  scroll-sawed,  varnished  trimmings.  The 
roofs  are  stained  with  a  green  wash  to  bring  them 
into  harmony  with  the  woods  and  rocks  ;  their  out- 
side walls  are  never  defaced  by  paint. 

There  are  always  two  points  in  the  building  of  a 
cabin  about  which  the  interest  is  concentrated,  —  the 
living-room  and  the  veranda  or  loggia. 

The  central  point  of  interest  in  the  living-room  is 
the  ample  fireplace  built  of  rough  stone  and  plaster, 
projecting  into  the  room.  Round  the  great  chimney 
the  other  rooms  of  the  house  are  built,  furnishing 
fireplaces  for  several  chambers.  When  the  expense 
of  an  extra  chimney  is  not  to  be  had  and  a  room 
needs  warming,  the  habit  is  to  run  up  a  small  stone 
or  brick  chimney  from  a  corner  of  the  room,  running 
into  it  the  stovepipe  of  a  Franklin,  or  in  cases  of 
emergency  that  of  a  stove,  although  no  one  should 
ever  use  an  air-tight  stove  without  an  apology  :  air- 
tight stoves  are  an  abomination. 

The  staircase,  where  there  is  an  upper  floor,  begins 
in  the  living-room.  Now  and  then  it  is  enclosed, 
but  ordinarily  it  runs  up  to  a  small  balcony  skirting 
the  chimney,  which  gives  access  to  the  several  bed- 
rooms above.  The  fashion  is  picturesque,  since  the 
railing  of  the  balcony  is  hung  with  rugs  or  gay  Indian 
stuffs,  and  decorated  with  green  branches.  Some- 
times the  chimney  is  built  so  as  to  leave  a  space  be- 
hind it,  in  which  coats  and  hats  and  lanterns  can  be 

384 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

hung,  for  lanterns  are  as  necessary  in  these  mountain 
settlements  where  there  are  no  street-lamps  as  tea- 
cups to  a  tea-table. 

The  living-room  may  be  finished  with  rough  bark, 
or  with  pine  and  plaster  ;  sometimes  logs  with  rough 
bark  are  used  as  posts  at  intervals  around  the  room, 
forming  panels  to  be  filled  with  whatever  the  taste 
of  the  mistress  dictates,  —  a  picture,  a  plaster  cast, 
a  piece  of  Japanese  matting,  or  a  bit  of  simple 
drapery,  chosen  for  its  wood  tones  and  colors. 
These  objects,  however,  when  used,  are  subordinated 
to  the  general  scheme  of  decoration,  which  relies 
for  its  effects  upon  growing  things,  —  the  greens  of 
ferns  and  branches,  and  the  colors  of  wild  flowers 
picked  near  by.  Fresh  greens  are  cut  every  few 
days  and  arranged  about  the  room.  The  tables  em- 
ployed are  seldom  from  shops  or  factories.  When 
they  are,  bark  of  some  kind  is  employed  to  give 
them  a  look  of  belonging  to  their  environment. 
This  does  not  mean  that  furniture  is  made  of  twigs 
and  pieces  of  knotted  wood  bent  into  fantastic  shapes, 
and  then  varnished  to  add  ugliness  and  misery  to 
everything  in  its  neighborhood.  Simplicity  should 
rule  here,  and  in  its  preservation  the  good  taste  and 
the  tact  of  the  householder  are  displayed. 

Living-rooms  are  often  dining-rooms  as  well,  one 
corner  of  the  room  including  the  table  and  cup- 
board. Blue  and  white,  or  red  and  white,  china  or 
flowered  dishes  are  used.  Nothing  should  be  used 
that  represents  mere  cost,  nothing  that  cannot  be 
replaced  when  broken  —  the  hangings  are  always  of 
25  385 


•HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  simplest  flowered  muslins,  stamped  cottons, 
Indian  blankets.  The  bedrooms  have  bare  floors 
and  cheap  ingrain  rugs,  or  mattings.  The  furniture 
is  of  wood.  In  every  house  there  is  a  tin  closet  or 
two  for  the  storing  of  mattresses  and  blankets  dur- 
ing the  winter,  and  for  putting  things  out  of  reach 
of  the  squirrels  or  field  mice. 

The  veranda  and  the  loggia  are  placed  always 
so  that  a  view  may  be  obtained,  —  down  a  valley, 
across  a  stretch  of  water,  or  into  the  leafy  heart 
of  some  great  tree.  They  are  built  of  rough  bark, 
the  trunks  of  trees  forming  the  railing  and  balus- 
trade. Hammocks  are  sometimes  hung  in  the 
loggias.  Divans  are  often  used  there.  The  real 
lover  of  the  woods  has  a  framework  made  on  which 
fresh  balsam  boughs  are  laid,  softened  with  cushions 
for  the  head.  Ferns  and  nasturtium  vines  fill  the 
boxes  on  the  rails.  The  boxes  themselves  are 
covered  with  rough  bark.  Branches  of  trees  covered 
with  fresh  leaves  are  fastened  to  the  upright  posts 
of  the  veranda,  adding  a  note  of  decoration,  and 
assuring  a  certain  privacy. 

The  verandas  below  stairs  are  furnished  with  straw 
chairs,  their  cushions  covered  with  cotton  stuffs.  Tea 
is  generally  served  here.  The  tea-service  is  simple. 
There  may  be  a  brass  kettle,  but  silver  is  not  in  good 
taste,  and  the  tea  cloth  is  white  trimmed  with  lace,  or 
is  fringed  and  embroidered.  Costly  laces  and  linens 
are  out  of  the  question. 

In  the  laying  out  of  these  camps  certain  laws  of 
construction  are  followed,  laws  which  should  be  true 

386 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

to  the  spirit  of  camping.  Separate  structures  are 
provided  for  each  individual.  Sometimes  there  are 
as  many  as  twenty-seven  or  more  cabins  belonging 
to  a  single  camp  ;  each  guest,  each  child  has  its  own. 
The  dining-room  is  detached,  and  so  is  the  living- 
room.  Board  walks  and  little  paths  connect  these 
several  structures,  hidden  from  each  other  by  the 
trees.  When  such  a  camp  is  laid  out  near  the  water, 
rigid  rules  of  etiquette  prevail.  Thus,  no  visitor  is 
supposed  to  approach  a  camp  except  by  water,  and 
to  the  landing-place  provided  by  the  owner,  a  guide 
being  always  in  attendance  at  the  float  to  receive  the 
guests  of  the  family.  To  approach  a  camp  through 
the  woods  is  to  take  a  family  unawares  :  it  is  like 
driving  up  to  its  back  door  when  one  comes  to  pay 
a  formal  visit,  —  a  breach  of  decorum  not  readily 
forgiven. 

Each  tent  or  cabin  has  its  own  open  fire.  When 
a  tent  is  planned  the  chimney  is  built  first.  Round 
this  chimney  a  wooden  structure  is  erected,  often 
of  charming  design,  and  intended  as  a  dressing  and 
writing  room.  A  bed  is  often  placed  in  it,  although 
there  is  always  a  bed  in  the  tent  that  adjoins  it. 
During  the  winter,  everything  belonging  to  each 
tent  is  taken  down  and  stored  in  its  own  wooden 
structure.  There  is  a  veranda  for  each  tent,  formed 
by  a  continuation  of  the  platform,  and  protected  by 
a  rough  wooden  railing.  This  veranda  is  furnished 
with  chairs,  hammocks,  and  plants.  An  extra 
canvas  of  some  color,  red  and  white,  blue  and  white, 
or  green  and  white,  is  then  made  to  cover  both 

387 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

the  inner  tent  and  the  veranda  as  well.  Mosquito 
nets  are  sometimes  hung  inside  the  tent  door. 

The  greatest  ingenuity  is  displayed  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  each  camp,  and  the  greatest  charm  prevails. 
Indeed,  the  life  that  goes  on  in  these  camps,  more 
especially  in  those  built  in  the  Adirondack  woods, 
can,  in  its  fascination,  be  compared  to  nothing  else 
except  perhaps  life  on  a  yacht. 

When  single  walls  are  used  in  the  construction 
of  a  cabin,  time  is  allowed  to  stain  them  gray. 
Nature  is  encouraged  to  do  most  of  the  work  of 
decoration.  No  paint  is  admitted  indoors.  One 
cabin  bedroom  will  have  its  stone  chimney  and  open 
fire.  The  walls  and  ceilings  will  be  of  pine.  White 
enamelled  furniture  will  be  introduced,  the  bed 
dressed  with  simple  flowered  muslin  with  ruffles, 
repeated  in  the  curtains  at  the  windows  and  on  the 
couches  and  tables.  The  effect  of  such  an  arrange- 
ment is  cool,  cheerful,  comfortable,  and  charming, 
for  no  appointment  is  neglected ;  the  desk,  the 
lounge,  the  night-table  and  the  lamps,  the  book- 
shelves, the  dressing-room,  and  the  bath  are  all 
there,  though  one  is  shut  in  by  evergreens  with 
banks  of  ferns  close  to  the  windows,  and  though 
the  squirrels  come  scampering  in  through  the  open 
doors  and  climb  into  one's  lap  for  nuts. 

I  remember  one  dining-room  with  the  veranda 
projecting  over  the  water.  It  had  a  wainscoting 
of  rough  bark,  which  covered  the  studding  and 
beams  also.  The  ceiling  between  the  beams  was 
of  pine.  A  yellow  straw  matting  filled  the  panels 

388 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  the  walls.  All  the  china  in  the  room  was  blue 
and  white.  So  were  the  muslin  curtains,  and  so, 
too,  was  the  Japanese  rug.  The  chairs  were  of 
pine,  painted  white.  A  huge  white  crane  hung 
from  the  highest  beam  of  the  ceiling,  directly 
over  the  middle  of  the  table.  Twenty  people 
could  dine  there  in  comfort,  and  there  was  usually 
that  number  in  this  most  hospitable  and  most  de- 
lightful of  dining-rooms. 

Living-rooms  one  hundred  feet  long  are  some- 
times found  in  these  camps.  Until  one  is  in  such 
a  room,  with  its  great  stone  chimneys  and  windows 
and  doors  on  every  side,  one  does  n't  realize  what 
the  charm  of  a  holiday  existence  may  be.  Windows 
face  in  every  direction,  and  each  one  is  made  into 
a  retreat  full  of  angles  and  recesses,  where  one  can 
sit  hidden  away  from  the  rest  of  the  room. 

No  attempt  is  made  to  clear  away  the  woods 
outside.  The  trees  stand  about  like  guardian 
spirits,  while  inside  there  are  the  fires,  books,  music, 
and  games.  One  of  these  living-rooms  has  no  color 
in  it  but  the  golden  and  russet  tones  of  autumn. 
These  are  in  the  hangings  and  the  yellow  of  the  pine 
shingles,  between  the  beams,  or  in  the  mattings  and 
the  bits  of  tapestry  between  the  panels,  the  cushions 
on  the  seats,  and  in  the  new  branches  that  are 
daily  introduced.  Another  room  will  be  furnished 
in  Indian  blankets  with  stuffed  birds,  and  pieces  of 
pottery,  and  books,  books,  books  everywhere, 
within  reach  of  any  hand. 

All  of  these  camps  have  "lean-tos." 
389 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

A  "  lean-to  "  is  a  square  structure,  not  unlike  a 
sheepcote,  without  windows  or  doors,  but  with  slop- 
ing roof  and  three  walls.  In  rough  camps  they 
are  built  of  green  boughs,  and  are  meant  only  to 
serve  as  shelter  for  a  night  or  two.  But  in  those 
luxurious  camps  which  are  left  standing  from  year 


jb  fair  way     l«adLinrf 

' 


Ljvi'ao  Rooryi 

o 
na   a,  


Country  House, 


to  year  they  are  built  for  permanent  use.  Their 
walls  are  like  those  of  a  log  cabin,  and  the  sloping 
roof  is  made  rain-proof.  An  inclined  floor  is  laid 
to  protect  the  loungers  inside  from  the  damp  earth, 
the  floor  level  with  the  ground  at  the  entrance 
sloping  up  toward  the  wall  at  the  back,  where  it 

39° 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

stands  some  two  feet  higher  and  well  away  from 
possible  damp.  On  this  wooden  floor  balsam 
boughs  are  laid.  Cushions  are  arranged  along  its 
head,  and  an  afghan  or  blanket  is  left  for  some 
cool  afternoon  or  evening.  Directly  opposite  the 
opening  of  this  lean-to,  which  may  look  into  the 
wood  or  down  the  lake,  wherever  the  view  is 
fine  and  privacy  best  insured,  a  camp-fire  is  laid 
on  a  high  stone  hearth — almost  an  altar.  The 
comfort  and  charm  of  these  lean-tos  cannot  easily 
be  measured.  Out-door  life  is  possible  in  them 
even  when  rains  fall  and  winds  blow.  They  are 
large  enough  to  hold  five  or  six  people,  and  not  too 
large  for  one.  They  furnish  inducements  which 
ought  to  prevail  with  the  rest  of  the  world  for 
getting  out  of  our  houses  oftener,  for  the  enjoy- 
ment of  simple  pleasures,  the  telling  of  stories  before 
a  fire,  or  the  reading  of  books  on  a  quiet  afternoon. 
It  would  be  possible  in  almost  any  wood-lot  or 
under  any  orchard  to  build  such  a  place  with 
only  a  few  planks,  while  the  brush  gathered  from 
different  directions  may  serve  as  a  camp-fire.  One 
wonders  why  so  charming  an  arrangement  must  be 
confined  to  camp  life  when  opportunities  for  it  are 
to  be  found  in  almost  every  country  place,  and 
would  add  immensely  to  its  pleasures. 

No  well-appointed  camp  is  without  its  camp-fire, 
which  is  lighted  every  night  with  as  much  regularity 
as  parlor  lamps  in  town.  Round  the  fire  there  are 
wooden  benches,  bath-chairs,  seats  of  various  kinds. 
Some  kindly  Providence  protects  the  surrounding 

39 ! 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

trees  and  the  canvas  near  by,  although  these 
fires  are  lighted  season  after  season  until  tradi- 
tions of  a  score  of  years  have  grown  about  every 
inch  of  the  ground.  In  many  instances  a  cement 
foundation  is  laid  for  the  fire,  sometimes  one  of 
rough  stone  only,  and  sometimes  the  fireplace  is 
built  like  an  altar.  The  charm  of  these  fires  is 
the  charm  of  every  lovely,  pleasant,  and  beautiful 
thing. 

In  no  camps  are  the  lanterns  forgotten.  In 
some  there  are  several  hundreds  of  different  colors, 
strung  on  trees  and  verandas,  to  light  the  different 
paths.  No  attempt  at  a  particular  arrangement  is 
made.  The  lanterns  are  hung  where  they  can  be 
of  most  service,  and  yet  the  effect  at  night  from  a 
lake  near  by,  as  one  looks  toward  the  different 
camps  hidden  under  the  trees,  is  of  a  bower  of 
lights  arranged  in  graceful  lines,  creating  an  impres- 
sion of  beauty  that  is  always  individual. 


392 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXX 


SINGLE    ROOMS    AND    STUDIOS 


ment-house    life    as   a   seres 


T  HAVE  often  referred  to  apart- 
of 


rr; 

I II  ll  J^P^l  °f  makeshifts  and  compromises 

which    must   go   endlessly 
on,    now    demanding    the 
sacrifice    of    a    sentiment, 
now  the  immolation  of  a 
comfort    on    the   altar    of 
some  propriety.      But  the 
makeshifts  and  com- 
promises   of   apart- 
ment    life     are     as 
nothing      compared 
to   those  which  the 
single  room   or  the 
studio     force    upon 
the  individual. 

Studios,  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  are  suscep- 
tible of  a  treatment  that  yields  generous  returns  in 
effect  and  charm.  They  are  larger  than  the  rooms 
found  in  ordinary  dwelling-places,  more  can  be 
done  with  them ;  moreover  the  artist  is  generally  a 
master  of  color,  understanding  harmonies  and  com- 
binations, possessing,  besides,  an  accumulation  of 

393 


o-n.  account-  o£  Ihx.  view-  Jrom.  au 
' 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

materials  chosen  for  their  beauty,  possessions  which 
in  themselves  are  decorative  and  interesting.  My 
sympathies  do  not  go  out  to  the  dwellers  in  them  ; 
my  enthusiasms  do.  All  my  pity  is  for  the  single 
woman,  or  the  man  and  wife  of  narrow  means  who 
must  live  in  a  furnished  room.  The  world  is  full 
of  these  unfortunates.  One  stumbles  over  them  in 
unexpected  ways.  The  bed  and  the  bureau  are 
always  in  evidence,  the  washstand  too.  Every  effort 
made  to  improve  the  situation  but  adds  misery  to 
the  general  result,  as  when  wedding  silver-pieces 
and  lamps  are  displayed  on  a  table  by  themselves, 
but  a  few  feet  away  from  the  bed  or  the  bureau,  as 
a  kind  of  hopeless  proclamation  of  past  splendors, 
—  a  silent  protest  against  a  present  condition. 

If  such  a  room  is  to  be  made  a  permanent  dwelling- 
place,  —  and  by  permanent  I  mean  a  tenure  lasting 
through  a  season,  —  no  one  should  yield  too  readily 
to  a  situation  which  might  be  bettered  with  a  little 
thought  and  a  very  little  money.  When  I  was  a 
child  I  knew  a  woman  with  a  restless,  nervous 
husband,  always  at  an  hour's  notice  dragging  her 
from  place  to  place,  to  this  hotel  and  that,  this  ugly 
rented  cottage  by  the  sea,  and  then  two  weeks  later 
to  another  just  as  bad  —  and  not  at  all  because  he 
was  poor,  but  because  he  was  queer.  I  learned 
more  from  her  in  my  girlhood  than  from  any  other 
woman  I  knew.  She  taught  me  what  it  was  to 
yield  gracefully  to  a  situation,  and  yet  to  maintain 
one's  principles  and  tact.  She  was  like  the  stem  of 
a  water-plant,  I  used  to  think,  swayed  by  every 

394 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

counter-current,  yet  never  losing  a  hold  on  the 
earth  below. 

Her  plan  was  always  to  keep  certain  possessions 
easily  carried  from  place  to  place.  She'  had,  I 
remember,  a  set  of  pretty  table  covers,  trimmed 
with  heavy  lace  and  embroidery,  one  or  two  of 
damask,  some  photographs,  a  few  candlesticks, 
three  or  four  sofa  cushions,  and  some  vases  for 
flowers.  I  have  seen  her  arrive  at  her  destination 
at  six  in  the  evening,  and  by  seven  have  her  room 
take  on  the  air  of  having  been  lived  in  for  months. 
She  would  do  this  even  when  she  knew  she  must 
leave  again  in  twenty-four  hours.  Out  would  come 
the  table  covers,  the  cushions,  and  the  pictures  ;  her 
maid  was  always  sent  out  to  buy  flowers.  The 
candles  were  lighted.  If  she  felt  annoyed  or  worried 
by  her  husband's  whims,  he  never  knew  it,  nor  did 
her  friends.  Nothing  in  her  surroundings  betrayed 
it,  nor  did  she  ever  yield  to  the  slightest  discourage- 
ment. I  used  to  think  her  a  saint.  I  think  now 
that  she  was  something  more,  since  the  saints  that  I 
have  read  about  always  ignored  their  obligations  to 
the  world,  whereas  I  believe  that  a  real  saint  should 
respect  them  —  never  neglecting  that  tribute  which 
we  have  been  enjoined  to  render  unto  Ceesar. 

Every  other  woman,  it  seems  to  me,  might  do  as 
much  if  she  tried.  Candlesticks  cost  little.  There 
are  those  of  glass  which  are  good  in  design  and 
which  can  be  had  almost  anywhere  for  less  than  one 
dollar  a  pair.  Linen  table  covers  are  always  being 
made  and  embroidered  by  women,  and  sofa  cushions 

395 


HOMES   AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


are  a  drug  in  the  market.  These  cushions  need  not 
all  be  covered  with  a  stuff.  A  heavy  linen  em- 
broidered or  inlaid  with  lace  is  excellent.  The 
cheap  wools,  and  the  cheap,  highly  colored,  elabo- 
rately designed  silks,  must  always  be  avoided. 

For  a  few  dollars  more,  dotted-muslin  curtains 
can  be  made,  or  those  of  a  cheap  flowered  material. 

Such  a  pair  of  curtains 
will  transform  the  din- 
giest room  and  lift  it 
off  the  plane  of  rented 
by  the  month  to  any 
transient  applicant.  I 
can,  in  my  mind's  eye, 
see  many  a  gloomy 
room  transformed  with 
these  simple  touches,  and  so 
can  any  one  who  remembers 
that  the  horror  of  most  of 
them  comes  from  musty 
woollen  hangings,  fringed 
woollen  table  covers  over 
marble-topped  tables,- 
woollen  covers  that  have  done  service  through  a 
long  line  of  ever-changing  tenants.  Of  course  a 
screen  should  be  purchased  to  hide  the  washstand, 
but  these  can  be  bought  for  a  dollar  and  a  half. 

A  man  will  not  put  up  with  as  many  makeshifts 
as  a  woman.  Besides  all  this,  he  goes  out  to  pay 
his  visits.  A  woman  receives  all  hers  at  home.  He 
therefore  does  not  object  to  a  display  of  his  brushes 

396 


C\flicr>  side    oC  elol  door 
m1&    Ste, 


HOMES  ANT)    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  his  combs,  and  his  shaving  utensils.  I  some- 
times think  he  rather  glories  in  a  parade  of  his 
shoes.  The  rows  and  rows  of  them  that  he  sets  out 
on  his  shelves !  The  exposed-to-the-dust-closets 
that  he  has  built  to  receive  them  !  A  woman  is 


more  fastidious,  and  if  she  be  a  young  girl  forced  to 
live  in  one  room  and  to  receive  her  visitors  there, 
she  shrinks,  or  she  should,  from  displaying  the 
appointments  of  her  toilet,  however  elaborate  in 
detail. 

Upon  such  a  young   woman    I   should  strongly 
397 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

urge  the  purchase  of  a  desk  rather  than  that  of  a 
bureau  —  an  old-fashioned  desk,  with  four  drawers 
below,  and  a  series  of  small  drawers  and  pigeon-holes 
above,  enclosed  by  a  slanting  cover  of  wood  which 
folds  back  and  down.  In  this  desk  she  can  keep 
all  her  toilet  articles,  her  silver-backed  brushes  if 
she  has  them,  because  in  a  room  in  which  she  re- 
ceives visitors  nothing  of  this  character  should  be 
shown.  The  drawers  may  be  filled  with  her  linen. 
It  should  go  without  saying  that  the  desk  should 
always  be  kept  closed  and  fastened.  Her  writing- 
table  could  be  arranged  elsewhere,  or  she  could  have 
a  writing-board,  to  use  on  her  lap.  This  board 
could  be  covered  with  cretonne,  and  filled  with  her 
paper  and  writing  utensils  fastened  down  by  strips 
of  silk  elastic,  with  brass-headed  nails. 

The  question  of  a  bed  will  always  bother  her.  I 
should  advise  a  divan  and  cushions,  to  be  made  up 
every  night.  A  box  under  the  divan  will  hold  her 
skirts.  Some  folding  beds  never  betray  themselves, 
some  can  never  be  forgotten.  I  know  a  young  art 
student  who  hung  one  with  Japanese  paper  lanterns 
and  Japanese  pictures,  and  decked  it  out  like  a 
holiday  ship,  did  everything,  indeed,  to  make  it 
look  unapproachable  and  out  of  the  question,  a 
convenient  hanging-place  for  all  her  odd  posses- 
sions. Then  she  slept  on  a  cot  in  the  corner, 
arranged  as  a  divan,  and  went  to  endless  trouble  to 
make  it  every  night.  She  could  not  bring  herself 
to  submit  to  a  folding  bed.  Another  art  student 
of  my  acquaintance  slept  on  a  divan,  but  none  of 

398 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 


her  visitors  suspected  it.  When  some  one  at  one 
of  her  studio  teas  looked  about  and  asked  her 
where  she  slept,  she  prevaricated  and  said  down  the 
hall,  and  her  explanation 
was  accepted,  as  it  could 
not  have  been  had  the  best 
designs  of  folding  beds  been 
set  up  among  her  canvases. 
Makeshifts,  as  I  began 
by  saying,  must  be  the 
order  of  the  day  for  those 
who  dwell  in  cramped 
quarters.  A  screen  is  in- 
dispensable. Art  students 
cook  whole  dinners  on 
tiny  gas  stoves  behind 
screens  without  any  one's 
being  the  wiser  between 
times.  If  such  a  student 
be  a  lady  with  traditions 
to  draw  upon, 
she  can  do  all  ~ 
this  and  still 
make  her  sur- 
roundings in- 
teresting and 
stamp  them 

with        refine-  "•""*"*«.  S- 

m  e  n  t.       One 
such  woman  treated  her  studio  in  this  way:  A  genu- 
ine old  mahogany  sideboard  was  set  with  silver.     A 

399 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

divan  with  silk  cushions  was  pushed  against  the 
wall,  with  a  mahogany  desk  at  its  head.  The  man- 
tel-shelf was  filled  with  pieces  of  brass.  A  mahog- 
any table  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  several 
quaint  chairs  drawn  up  beside  it.  Her  bureau,  with 
its  array  of  silver,  was  in  a  large  closet,  the  door 
tight  shut.  A  tall  screen  hid  the  sink  with  running 
water,  and  the  pine  table  that  held  the  gas  stove  on 
which  she  cooked  all  her  meals.  No  one  ever  sus- 
pected what  was  behind  that  screen,  —  studio  prop- 
erties, visitors  supposed.  It  was  undeniably  the 
home  of  a  lady  of  taste  and  cultivation.  Had  she 
had  less  taste,  she  would  not  have  put  her  bureau 
in  that  closet. 

Another  studio  was  arranged  in  this  way  by  two 
women  living  together :  As  the  ceiling  was  unusu- 
ally high,  a  wide  platform  was  arranged  across  one 
end  of  it,  the  end  of  it  into  which  the  entrance  door 
opened.  Access  was  had  to  this  platform  by  a 
narrow  staircase.  The  platform  was  protected  by  a 
balustrade  hung  with  embroidered  silks.  Here  she 
contrived  a  dainty  bedroom.  The  other  end  of  the 
long  studio  was  partitioned  off  for  another  sleeping- 
room.  The  space  under  the  platform  and  by  the 
entrance  door  was  utilized  as  a  dining-room.  One 
of  these  artists  was  a  wood-carver.  She  designed  a 
rich  wainscoting  for  this  dining-room,  over  which 
were  shelves  with  carved  brackets  set  out  with  china, 
pewter,  and  silver.  The  walls  were  covered  with 
rough  burlaps,  treated  liberally  with  gold  paint. 
From  the  four  corners  of  the  platform  above,  small 

400 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


brass  altar-lamps  were  suspended.  The  tables  and 
chairs  were  genuine  black  oak  carved.  The  studio 
proper  leading  from  this  ante-chamber  was  furnished 
with  divans,  brasses,  carved  chairs,  tapestries,  pic- 
tures, and  plants,  —  an  enchant- 
ing room,  as  charming  as  its 
clever  maker. 

For  a  well-studied  economy 
of  space,  I  know  few  places  to 
be  compared  to  another  studio 
belonging  to  a  young  woman 
whose  taste  in  decoration  is  ex- 
ceptionally  good.      The   walls 
are   hung  with    a   russet-green 
denim,  —  denim  green  on  one 
side  and   of   reddish    tone   on 
the  other.     The  wood-work  is 
painted    to    match,    the   green 
paint  being  toned  with   much 
raw  sienna.    The  floor,  treated 
with  wax,  is  rubbed  every  day 
until  it  has  taken  on  a  polish 
and  a  sunny,  cinnamon  tone 
that  is  delightful. 

From  the  entrance  door  a 
view  could  originally  be  had 
of  every  corner  of  the  room. 


Oak 

Cop 


7 


•nxaclc.  i a  Beaton., 
of  ffijeonfc  use<K  by 

V»AOV.  DuxuoTtA,   — • 

To  remedy  this,  curtains  are  hung  across  to  form  a 
vestibule,  the  vestibule  itself  having  a  shallow  closet 
at  one  side  for  dresses.  In  one  corner  of  the  room 
a  corner  closet  was  built,  under  which  the  bicycle  is 
26  401 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

kept.  The  shelves  are  filled  with  artistic  pottery. 
In  the  corner  diagonally  opposite,  two  divans  are 
placed  near  the  window.  The  steam  heater,  under 
a  high  side  window,  had  a  frame-work  built  over  it, 
on  which  a  seat  is  placed.  Opposite  the  bicycle 


cupboard  is  an  upright  piano,  behind  which  are 
shelves  for  dishes  and  a  drop-shelf.  Here  great 
ingenuity  is  displayed  in  the  shelves  fitted  in  be- 
tween the  piers  which  jut  out  into  the  room.  One 
set  of  shelves  is  devoted  to  china,  the  other  to  pans 

402 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  kettles.  The  drop-shelf  is  made  of  a  small 
bread  board  fastened  to  a  shelf  of  the  right  height 
by  hinges.  Each  cup  has  its  proper  hook,  each  plate 
its  place.  A  denim  curtain  covers  the  shelves.  As 
it  exactly  matches  the  wall  color  it  never  betrays 
itself,  or  what  it  conceals. 

Across  the  "  alcove,"  a  framework  is  built,  covered 
on  the  back  with  denim  to  match  the  walls.  This  is 
supplied  with  spring  doors  which  swing  in  and  can 
be  fastened  together,  so  that  they  form  a  sort  of 
letter  "  A  "  round  which  easy  access  in  and  out  is 
had.  Inside  of  this  enclosure  the  bed  stands  under 
the  window,  the  latter  being  filled  with  a  lattice 
made  out  of  the  inner  wooden  framework  of  an  old 
Japanese  screen  from  which  the  paper  has  been 
stripped.  This  part  of  the  room,  with  its  bed  and 
wash-closet,  is  entirely  shut  off  by  the  temporary 
partition  from  the  living  and  working  part,  and  be- 
comes in  reality  a  tiny  separate  chamber. 

The  pier  glass,  which  is  moved  about  the  inner 
room,  is  also  turned  to  double  account,  its  lower 
part  being  fitted  with  shelves  for  holding  shoes  and 
toilet  articles. 

In  the  centre  of  the  studio,  a  large  oak  table 
stands  just  under  the  huge  skylight.  Across  the 
base  of  the  skylight,  high  overhead,  is  another  shelf 
for  pottery.  The  room  is  delightful. 


4°3 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


I 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

MAKING    OVER    FURNITURE 

•  T  may  be  of  interest  to  some  amateur 
with  ample  leisure  and  not  a  little 
talent  to  be  exercised,  to  know  what  has 
been  done  in  the  way  of  transforming 
old  appointments  by  several  young 
women  with  a  weakness  for  experiments. 
It  must  be  urged,  however,  that  unless 
the  condition  of  the  old  furniture  makes 
its  renovation  worth  while  it  were 
best  left  alone.  Pottering  for  its 
own  sake  is  never  to  be  recom- 
mended. One,  too,  should  be 
possessed  of  a  certain  skill  before 
going  to  work  upon  furniture ;  for  furniture,  being 
made  of  good  material,  unlike  a  batch  of  cake 
spoiled  in  the  making,  cannot  be  thrown  away. 
The  results  are  at  times  certain  forms  of  mental 
dyspepsia  for  those  forced  to  live  with  spoiled  chairs 
and  tables. 

In  one  instance,  where  the  furniture  was  painted 
blue,  then  stencilled  in  yellow,  care  was  taken  to 
tone  the  blue  with  yellow  and  a  little  red.  The 
result  was  a  bright  blue,  though  not  a  pure  one. 
The  yellow  for  the  pattern  was  rather  dull,  varied 

404 


ojrjw 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


occasionally  in    stencilling   with   green   and   brown. 
This  can  easily  be  done  in  stippling. 

When  the  furniture  was  finished,  the  room  itself 
was  begun.  The  doors  and  trim  were  painted  blue 
and  stencilled  with  the  same  yellow  ;  the  rafters  were 
stained  with  warm  sienna  brown,  the  walls  being 
painted  a  dark  ivory  white.  The  entire  room 
resolved  itself  into  one  of  blue 
and  warm-yellow  tones  running  Stencxl 
into  the  ivories.  The  general 
impression  was  one  of  warmth 
and  richness  combined. 

Another  room,  its  duplicate, 
had  the  furniture,  doors,  and 
trim  treated  with  corn  color,  the 


For 


stencilling  picked  out  with  warm  reds,  browns,  and 
greens.  The  walls  were  dull  ivory.  The  pattern 
was  outlined  in  light  brown,  care  being  taken  to 
make  the  difference  between  the  colors  in  the  sten- 
cil pattern  and  the  color  of  the  wood-work  very 
slight,  so  that  the  whole  scheme  harmonized. 

The  same  furniture  might  have  been  treated  with 
dull  green,  with  design  stencilled  in  soft  browns  and 
yellows,  avoiding  the  formality  of  too  even  a  tone. 

4°5 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


It  will  be  noticed  that  the  head  and  foot  pieces  of 

the   bed  and    the   side   pieces    of  the    bureau   were 

treated  in  the  same  way. 

The  green  in  this  instance  could  be 
made  by  mixing  chrome  green,  raw 
sienna,  red,  a  little  blue,  and  perhaps  a 
touch  of  black.  The  color  of  the  sten- 
cilled pattern  should  be  that  of  oak- 
leaves  in  the  late  autumn,  —  a  soft,  rich 
yellow  with  dull  reds  against  the  soft 
green.  It  is  made  by  mixing  into  the 
green  yellow  ochre  and  Venetian  red, 
varying  the  colors  with  green  and  burnt 
sienna.  The  color  of  the  stencil  must 
tone  with  that  of  the  background,  care 
being  taken  not  to  make  the  pattern 
too  staring.  Effect  will  be  added  by 
making  the  upper  part  a  light  brown, 
so  varying  it  that  toward  the  bottom  it 
becomes  quite  green. 

The  walls  of  a  room  in  which  such 
furniture  is  placed  may  be  treated  with 
a  warmer  yellow  than  that  which  pre- 
dominates in  the  stencil  figures,  or  per- 
haps a  clear  bright,  sunny  yellow.  A 
frieze  might  be  added  with  a  ground 
work  of  a  lighter  yellow,  stencilled  with 
part  of  the  pattern  used  as  the  design 
on  the  furniture.  The  hangings  could 

then  be  of  soft  pinky  red  with  Nile  green  stripes. 
Stencil  patterns  are  made  of  heavy  manila  paper 
406 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

(that  known  as  "  detail  "  paper  is  the  best).  If  the 
pattern  selected  is  of  the  correct  size,  it  may  be  trans- 
ferred with  impression  paper  directly  on  the  brown 
paper.  If  not  large  enough,  it  should  be  enlarged 
to  scale.  After  the  design  is  drawn,  the  spots  which 
in  the  finished  work  will  be  of  one  color  are  neatly 
cut  out  with  a  sharp  knife,  the  paper  being  laid  on 
a  sheet  of  glass.  The  knife  must  be  constantly 
sharpened  on  an  oil-stone,  as  paper 
dulls  the  keen  edge.  Two  or  more 
stencils  will  be  needed  for  each  pat- 
tern. Care  must  be  taken  to  leave 
sufficient  material  between  the  open- 
ings cut  out  to  prevent  the  paper  tear- 
ing while  the  work  is  being  executed. 
Cut  two  tiny  holes  in  the  same  place  Door  HatxdPe, 
in  each  stencil  to  serve  as  keys  in  .HnddonHaTt 
fitting  your  pattern  to  the  wall.  It  is  better  to 
start  with  a  small,  simple  design,  as  a  large  one  is 
clumsy  to  manage.  After  the  cutting  is  finished 
the  paper  must  have  two  coats  of  strong  shellac  var- 
nish to  render  it  tough  and  water-proof.  A  separate 
stencil  and  brush  is  used  for  each  color.  The  bris- 
tles should  be  tied  half-way  down  to  prevent  the 
brush  spreading.  Distemper  colors  (calcimine)  are 
often  used  in  stencilling  plaster  surfaces.  These  may 
be  purchased  mixed  with  the  proper  amount  of  glue 
ready  for  use.  Colors  in  powder  should  be  at  hand 
to  vary  the  shades,  if  necessary.  Amateurs  will  find 
these  easy  to  manage.  The  painting  should  not  be 


407 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

too  accurate,  but  must  not  be  "  sloppy."     Nothing 
must  look  machine  made. 

Old  wooden  arm-chairs  have  a  new  interest  lent 
them  by  leather  seats  that  take  the  place  of  worn- 
out  cane.  These  may  be  tied  on  the  chair  by 
leather  thongs.  A  piece  of  heavy  leather,  the  size 
of  the  chair  bottom,  is  to  be  purchased  from  any 
shoemaker  for  very  little,  and  for  an  additional  few 
cents  it  can  be  punched  with  a  series  of  holes  with 
brass  eyelets  put  in  about  the  edges.  The  leather 
thongs  are  then  used  as  lacings,  being  passed  over 
the  framework  of  the  seat.  A  leather  cushion  can 
be  added,  the  four  corners  finished  with  leather 
tassels. 

An  ugly  oak  wardrobe  has  been  renovated  by 
being  painted  to  match  the  room  and  stencilled,  its 
objectionable  handles  being  replaced  by  something 
simpler.  Another  wardrobe  was  stained  green,  the 
grain  of  the  wood  remaining  visible  and  adding  a 
quality  to  the  work  when  done.  The  hideous  ash 
furniture  now  sold  everywhere  can  be  stained  over 
the  varnish  in  this  same  way.  Staining  this  ash  is, 
by  the  way,  better  than  painting,  as  it  does  not  con- 
ceal the  grain  of  the  wood.  Let  one  coat  dry 
thoroughly  before  applying  the  next.  It  dries 
quickly.  After  the  application,  if  too  shiny,  a  dull 
finish  can  be  given  by  rubbing  carefully  with  finely 
ground  pumice  in  water.  This  is  a  laborious  process, 
but  well  repays  the  trouble. 

"Forest  green"  and  "walnut  stain"  can  be 
purchased  at  any  paint-shop  in  small  cans.  Twenty 

408 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


cents'  worth  will  be  sufficient  for  two  or  three  large 
pieces  of  furniture.  The  main  thing  to  observe  is, 
to  apply  the  paint  in  thin,  even  coats,  allowing  no 
drops  to  run  down  at  the  corners.  Thin  with 
turpentine  to  make  the  shade  lighter.  This  mix- 
ture is  capital  for  unpainted  wood,  window-boxes, 
and  so  forth.  On  wood  which  has  not  been  pre- 
viously varnished  it  has  no  annoying  gloss.  If 
paint  is  used  in  place  of  stain  the 
last  coat  must  be  "  flatted  "  with 
turpentine  to  take  off  the  lustre. 
Army  women,  obliged  to  move 
from  place  to  place  and  to  sacri- 
fice their  best  possessions,  would 
find  the  painting  of  ordinary  fur- 
niture of  inestimable  value  to 
them.  Common  kitchen  chairs 
painted  white,  and  common  pine 
tables  painted  in  the  same  way, 
would  be  infinitely  better  in  many 
instances  than  cheap  oak  sets,  which  only  lower 
the  character  of  any  room  in  which  they  find 
themselves.  By  buying  inexpensive  pine  furniture, 
and  painting  it,  one's  capital  could  be  invested  in 
rugs  and  hangings  of  good  quality,  and  fine  table 
linen  and  covers.  Freshness  and  charm  would  at 
once  be  added  to  interiors  :  qualities  which  could 
never  be  obtained  by  imitation  cherry  tables  with 
twisted  legs,  or  oak  chairs  that  have  been  carried 
about  the  country  until  they  are  as  shabby  as  stage 
properties  after  a  season's  successful  run. 

409 


CUoTvV 

C.tnitecU. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

When  simple  painting  is  done,  no  attempt  at 
stencilling  need  be  made,  the  white  painted  chairs 
and  tables  easily  passing  muster.  An  ingenious 
woman  might  treat  her  freshly  painted  white  fur- 
niture with  a  border  of  Dresden  sprays,  tiny  pink 
roses,  and  green  leaves.  The  common  pine  fur- 
niture could  be  treated  with  oil  and  rubbed  down, 
with  less  labor  and  more  durable  results.  For 
studios  and  summer  camps,  where  the  ingenuity 
of  the  householder  must  be  exercised  and  where 
there  is  little  money  to  expend, 
the  oil  is  to  be  preferred.  In 
time  wood  thus  treated  becomes 
of  an  agreeable  dark  color. 

With  white  paint,  a  pretty 
chintz  or  cretonne,  a  few  mirrors, 
plants,  and  good  photographs,  the  simplest  house 
may  be  made  charming. 

The  white  paint,  when  chintz  or  any  flowered 
material  is  used  in  decoration,  plays  the  part  of 
framework,  and  tends  to  throw  into  stronger  relief 
the  textile  thus  employed.  A  colored  paint  would 
not  so  easily  accomplish  the  same  results,  and  if 
used,  would  have  to  be  carefully  considered,  its  tone 
selected  with  great  care,  and  its  relation  to  the  chintz 
and  to  the  lines  of  the  room  never  for  a  moment 
overlooked.  The  entire  room  would  then  assume 
an  altogether  different  character,  to  be  studied  in  re- 
lation to  its  general  color,  as,  for  instance,  were  a 
green  paint  used,  one  that  took  up  the  color  of  the 
leaves  on  the  chintz.  The  ceiling  would  then 

410 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


become  even  more  of  a  problem,  unless  one  were 
content  to  give  the  room  the  look  of  a  box,  and 
one  would  have  to  study  to  avoid  the  effects  of 
spots  and  patches  where  the  chintz  was  carelessly 
introduced. 

There  is  another  reason  why  white  paint  helps 
solve  the  problem  of  a  successful  room  in  which 
chintz  or  cretonne  is  used  in  decoration.  The  skill 
of  the  individual  painter  must  be  relied  upon  for  a 
tone,  and  unless  the  painter  happens 
to  be  a  genius,  his  attempts  are  usu- 
ally failures.  Manufactured  articles, 
on  the  other  hand, —  papers,  chintzes, 
and  good  textiles,  —  are  made  from 
carefully  considered  designs,  and  from 
carefully  formulated  color-schemes 
submitted  by  experts.  The  house- 
holder, making  a  selection,  knows 
what  she  is  buying,  but  she  never 
knows  what  she  may  be  called  upon » 
to  pay  for  when  the  average  workman 
is  employed  on  color. 

With  white  paint,  then,  the  chintz  or  textile  em- 
ployed has  a  distinct  decorative  value.  It  is  accen- 
tuated and  defined.  It  becomes  a  trimming,  a  very 
dainty  and  beautiful  trimming,  and  when  well  em- 
ployed is  made  to  seem  part  of  the  original  structure 
or  design  of  the  room.  All  decoration  of  whatever 
kind  should  produce  this  impression.  When  it  does 
not  it  is  out  of  key. 

A  careful  study  of  the  illustrations  which  accom- 
411 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


pany  this  paper  will  well  repay  the  lover  of  pretty 
interiors,  not  only  those  interested  in  seeing  what 
can  be  done  with  white  paint,  mirrors,  and  chintz, 
but  those  wanting  to  understand  the  secret  of  a 
pretty  room.  Take,  for  instance,  the  corner  in 
which  the  divan  is  placed,  and  notice,  first,  how 
successfully  the  flowered  chintz  has  been  used.  Thus 
not  only  the  divan  itself,  with  some  of  its  cushions, 
has  been  covered  with  the  chintz,  but  the  curtains 
at  the  head  of  the  divan  are  of  the  same  material. 
The  mirror  back  of  the  divan,  and  the  second  mir- 
ror next  the  window,  have  also  been 
framed  with  the  same  material.  To 
prove  that  this  use  of  the  chintz  is 
meant  to  be  part  of  the  general  plan 
of  the  room,  notice  how  a  band  of  it, 
as  wide  as  that  covering  the  mirrors, 
also  outlines  the  window-frames,  and 
again,  how  it  appears  on  the  wall, 
just  below  the  frieze. 

By  examining  the  ceiling  in  a  sec- 

ond  illustration,  that  one  which  gives 

,        ,     .  ...    ,  ,          ,  . 

tne    bed,   it  will    be   seen   that   this 

border  of  chintz  is  again  introduced 
in  the  ceiling  itself,  at  a  given  distance  from  the 
angle,  making  the  two  chintz  borders  —  namely, 
that  one  on  the  wall  and  that  on  the  ceiling  —  equi- 
distant from  the  angle.  A  large  panel  of  the  chintz 
is  also  used  on  the  ceiling,  carrying  out,  therefore, 
the  general  plan,  and  repeating  the  panel  back  of 
the  bed. 

413 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


The  general  arrangement  of  the  corner  in  which 
the  divan  is  placed  illustrates  some  of  the  most  im- 
portant principles  in  house-furnishing.  The  whole 
corner,  it  will  be  seen,  is  a  composition  in  itself, 
even  while  it  belongs  to  the  rest  of  the  room.  The 
cover  of  the  divan  has  been  considered  in  relation  to 
its  background,  —  the  curtains  at  one 
end,  and  the  cushions  and  mirror  at  the 
side.  The  introduction  of  the  mirror 
not  only  repeats  the  lines  of  the  win- 
dow-frame, but  breaks  up  what  might 
otherwise  be  an  awkward  wall-space.  A 
bookcase,  or  a  piece  of  drapery  on  the 
wall,  'successful  as  this  treatment  is  in 
many  cases,  would  not  have  been  happy 
here,  since  the  object  of  this  summer 
room  was  to  give  an  impression  of  light- 
ness and  airiness,  of  cool  and  restful 
spaces.  All  this  has  been  accomplished  without  sac- 
rificing anywhere  a  question  of  comfort.  The  ex- 
cellence of  this  corner  lies  in  the  fact  that  comfort 
has  been  the  first  consideration  of  the  householder, 
as  it  should  be  everywhere.  In  this  case,  however, 
comfort  includes  not  only  repose  for  the  body,  but 
refreshment  for  the  eye.  Thus  the  light  falls  in  just 
the  right  way,  tables  and  books  are  arranged  with 
reference  to  their  use,  plants  are  introduced  to  break 
up  lines  and  add  the  beauty  of  their  forms.  These 
points  would  not,  -perhaps,  need  to  be  so  strongly 
emphasized  in  a  paper  of  this  kind,  except  that  they 
are  the  very  points  which  are  oftenest  neglected  by 

413 


Y»eTU. 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

those  who  wish  to  give  a  corner  in  a  room  a  special 
character,  and  who  introduce  divans,  not  only  all 
out  of  key  with  the  rest  of  the  room,  and  where  they 
become  in  consequence  not  only  mere  excrescences, 
but  where  they  are  quite  useless  for  reading  and 
lounging. 

The  arrangement  of  the  bed  deserves  particular 


attention.  The  panel  of  chintz  on  the  wall  makes 
a  good  background  for  the  bed  curtains.  These 
curtains  are  of  the  same  material,  and  lined  with  a 
plain  color.  They  are  then  gathered  together  in  the 
centre,  and  held  in  place  over  the  centre  of  the  bed 
by  a  carved  ornament,  the  curtains  falling  not  only 
back  of  the  bed,  but  over  both  the  head  and  foot 

414 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

boards.  The  alcove  in  which  the  bed  is  placed  is 
again  shut  away  without  suggesting  being  shut  in, 
the  horizontal  beam  from  which  the  curtains  are  sus- 
pended coming  just  below  an  open  space.  This 
gives  the  possibility  of  plenty  of  fresh  air,  an  essen- 
tial point  in  a  bedroom.  To  relieve  what  might 
otherwise  be  an  awkward  gap,  various  pieces  of  pot- 
tery and  porcelain  are  introduced  in  symmetrical 
arrangement.  The  chintz,  it  will  be  noticed,  again 
appears  in  a  band  matching  that  of  the  mirrors  and 
window-frame,  and  running  along  the  horizontal 
beam.  This  small  band  appears  also  on  the  toilet- 
table,  just  above  the  curtain. 

One  should  also  notice  that  a  look  of  being 
upholstered  is  everywhere  avoided  in  the  room. 
One  sees  this  in  the  small  sofa  in  the  bedroom,  and 
again  in  the  seat  under  the  mirror,  which,  though 
cushioned  in  chintz,  is  not  curtained,  in  this  way 
preserving  the  sense  of  airiness  and  freshness  before 
referred  to,  without  sacrificing  comfort. 


415 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


CHAPTER   XXXII 

NOTES    AND    SUGGESTIONS 

OME  effective  results  may  be  obtained  in 
the  decoration  of  country  houses  for  spe- 
cial  festivities  by  the   use  of  tennis   nets, 
nailed,  for  instance,  along  the  casings  of 
stairways,  their  meshes  filled  with  bunches 
of  flowers  and  of  greens,  —  hemlock,  cedar, 
and  holly  in  winter,  varied  with  splashes  of 
brilliant  color  ;  of  autumn  leaves  and  chrys- 
anthemums in  the  fall,  and  of  apple-blos- 
soms   in    the    spring.       Pink    and    white 
apple-blossoms,    by   the    way,    make   the 
most    exquisite     of    house     decorations, 
though  the  harvest  must  be  sacrificed  to  it. 

We  are  often  bothered  with  the  doors  in 
our  houses  because   few  of  them  are 
o     f      ?    J     .iT'     interesting  in  themselves.     Many  of 

Tor  puTTiifKi     o\L.          ,  .  j,  .  . 

)          r       •       •       them  open  awkwardly,  taking  up  too 

vtTifa.  o  Llafcffna  wt*H  i  •  11        i  IXTL 

>  .S  much   room  in    small   places.      When 

r"  -  4  j*.    ,» 

"•'S*-  this  is  the  case,  the  door  may  not  only 
be  split  in  two  and  swung  from  either  side,  so  that 
it  opens  exactly  through  the  middle,  but  it  can  be 
split  through  the  centre  and  so  arranged  with  hinges 
that  one  part  of  the  door  doubles  back  against 

itself. 

416 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  Spaniards  have  a  pretty  fashion  of  decorating 
the  panels  of  their  doors  with  brass  pieces,  —  the 
heads  and  wings  of  cherubs  or  the  head  of  an 
animal.  In  this  country  the  fashion  is  copied  now 
and  then,  and  plaster  casts  are  used  when  brass 
pieces  are  not  possible.  The  decoration  of  a  panel 
always  adds  interest  to  the  door.  In  the  houses 
of  some  artists  every  panel  has  a  painting,  the  work 
of  some  distinguished  painter  and  friend. 

Any  utilization  of  space  invariably  appeals  to  me. 
Something  akin  to  genius  seems  often  to  have  been 
exercised  and  a  rare  imagination  brought  to  play. 
I  never  get  over  the  wonder  of  seeing  how  interiors 
of  the  same  dimensions,  how  yachts  especially,  will 
be  cut  up  and  arranged,  in  one  instance  giving  you 
a  sense  of  amplitude  and  comfort  and  in  another  a 
sensation  of  always  being  cramped  for  space.  In 
many  houses  there  will  be  uncomfortable  conditions 
accepted  as  hopeless  year  after  year  until  some 
woman  of  imagination  comes  along,  and,  presto  !  a 
change  that  makes  every  one  marvel  that  no  one 
thought  of  it  before.  Such  a  change  was  made 
in  the  house  of  a  woman  I  know,  a  clever  woman 
who  makes  no  more  demur  about  ripping  a  summer- 
house  to  pieces  in  order  to  bring  about  new  com- 
binations of  stairways  and  angles  than  the  rest  of 
us  would  about  ripping  last  year's  wash-dresses  in 
order  to  alter  the  cut  of  a  sleeve. 

She  rented  a  small  country  house  with  two  com- 
municating rooms.  One  had  no  closet.  She  closed 
27  417 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

and  fastened  the  door  between  the  two  rooms,  then, 
measuring  by  the  length  of  a  skirt  when  hanging, 
she  cut  away  the  lower  part  of  the  door.  When 
this  was  done  she  built  a  small  square  closet  and  put 
it  against  the  door  that  had  been  cut.  This  closet 
then  made  on  one  side  of  the  door  a  hang- 
ing-place for  skirts,  and  on  the  other  a  pro- 
jection, which,  with  its  flat  top,  was  utilized 
in  the  adjoining  room  for  books  and  flowers. 
A  small  piece  of  ground  glass  on  the  top 
gave  light  to  the  closet.  A  narrow  seat  in 
front  made  of  pine  served  as  a  resting-place 
when  shoes  were  changed ;  the  space  under 
the  seat  was  utilized  as  a  shoe-box. 


i 


There  are  still  garrets  in  the  country,  en- 
chanting realms  for  children  on  rainy  days, 
when  old  trunks  and  chests  are  ransacked 
and  their  treasures  of  ball-dresses  and  won- 
derful hats  are  brought  out.  But  there  are 
no  garrets  in  town,  —  none  at  least  in  fine 
houses  ;  there  are  trunk-rooms,  sometimes, 
not  always.  A  corner  in  the  basement  is 
generally  set  aside  for  these,  specially  designed  in 
new  mansions,  and  improvised  in  more  modest 
abodes.  We  always  miss  these  garrets,  those  of 
us  who  have  known  them.  The  constant  care  of 
modern  town-dwellers  is  how  to  store  away  things 
without  sacrificing  space  that  is  valuable,  and  with- 
out so  scattering  them  about  that  endless  time  is 
wasted  in  their  search.  Then  there  are  the  super- 

418 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


fluities,  the  ugly  things  which  a  householder  wants 
to  hide. 

The  best  arrangement  I  know  for  small  places 
is  that  system  affected  by  a  woman  living  in  an 
apartment.  In  one  room  off  the  kitchen  she  put 
two  rows  of  shelves  running  round  the  room  just 
above  the  tops  of  the  doors.  Pasteboard  boxes  of 
a  uniform  size  were  then  set  out  on  these 
shelves.  Each  box  was  numbered.  On  the 
wall  by  the  door  a  neatly  written  list  was  tacked, 
giving  under  the  head  of  each  number  a  list  of 
the  contents  of  the  box  marked  with  the 
corresponding  figure.  There  was  never 
any  confusion  in  her  neighborhood. 

In  another  apartment  I  once  saw  two 
wooden  boxes  on  rollers,  made  to  slide 
under  the  two  single  beds,  as  we  were 
once  accustomed  to  sliding  the  old-fash- 
ioned trundle-beds  of  a  long  ago.  One 
of  these  boxes  held  the  party  dresses  of 
the  wife,  the  other  the  extra  coats  of  the 
husband.  It  was  a  makeshift,  of  course,  but  a 
clever  one,  as  all  apartment-house  dwellers  will  rec- 
ognize at  once. 

Whenever  there  is  a  jut  in  the  window  and  no 
sill,  a  box  is  always  to  be  urged  ;  it  can  be  covered 
and  arranged  as  a  window-seat.  Inside  it  can  be 
partitioned  off  for  bonnets,  arranged  with  trays  for 
underclothes,  or  with  shelves  for  shoes,  the  cover 
being  hinged  in  the  front.  When  there  is  a  window- 

419 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

sill,  or  the  line  of  the  wall  by  the  window  is  not 
broken,  in  small  rooms  such  a  box  is  impossible, 
taking  up  more  space  than  it  saves. 

An  invalid  is  apt  to  weary  of  her  surroundings, 
especially  a  patient  who  has  suffered  from  a  pro- 
tracted stay  in  bed  with  a  nurse  in  attendance. 
The  very  pictures  on  the  walls  become  unendur- 
able, —  the  paper,  the  hangings.  The  atmosphere 
seems  to  grow  heavier  day  by  day.  Those  who 
have  been  ill  will  remember  the  joy  of  the  first 
grand  cleaning  given  to  the  sick-room,  a  cleaning 
which  has  lasted  through  the  day  while  she  was 
kept  in  another  room.  How  fresh  and  delightful 
everything  seemed  to  her  when  she  was  moved 
back  again,  how  reposeful,  how  delightful  and  sweet 
smelling  !  It  was  like  going  into  another  country 
for  a  change  of  air. 

It  would  have  been  interesting  to  have  devoted  a 
separate  chapter  of  the  present  volume  to  hospital- 
rooms —  one  for  every  house  —  rooms  hygienically 
appointed,  with  oil-cloth  and  paint  if  nothing  else 
were  possible ;  places  in  which  a  patient  could  be 
cared  for  while  ill,  and  out  of  which  she  could  be 
carried  for  her  convalescence  back  to  her  own 
room,  perhaps.  A  hospital-room  would  be  easy 
to  arrange.  It  could  be  made  pretty  with  var- 
nished papers  and  bright  hangings,  hangings  cheap 
enough  to  be  destroyed  afterwards  without  a  pang. 
Were  the  curtains  white  they  could  be  washed. 
There  should  be  an  open  fireplace  in  such  a  room. 

420 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

Everything  should  be  comfortable  and  cheerful. 
The  sun  should  shine  in  it.  It  should  never  sug- 
gest sickness,  nor  painful  associations. 

When  a  hospital-room  is  not  possible  in  a  house, 
great  care  should  be  taken  to  provide  night  and  day 
bedding  for  a  patient,  —  blankets  that  once  in  every 
twenty-four  hours  were  put  out  in  the  sun ;  linen 
made  fresh  every  morning ;  pillows  that  could  be 
aired  all  day,  until  the  very  sunbeams 
lodged  among  the  covers. 


We  are  apt  to  pride  ourselves  as  a 
people  upon  the  possession  of  closets, 
comparing  provisions  made  among  us 
for  dresses  and  clothes  with  those  seen 

on  the  other  side  of  the  water.     Not   -rr    ~r  j       ~D 

i  •  r  lh.e    lixd.or»   r\osg. 

long  since  an  architect  or   note  drew  as  used  by 

attention  in  a  magazine  article  to  the        Qu««n~iE?I«.4fc>€tiv 
fact  that  in  some  foreign  capitals  im-     A.  si'r«.|olc  raohve  for" 
portant  town  houses  had  no  closets,          decoraTio-n-— . 
while   the   smallest  of  ours   boasted   one   in   every 
vacant  space,  —  wherever,   indeed,  an  architect,  by 
straining  a  point,  could  insert  one. 

Every  householder  knows  the  value  of  a  closet. 
Some  know  the  joy  of  a  linen  closet,  the  sweetest- 
smelling  closet  in  the  world,  with  its  shelves  laden 
with  piles  of  white  linen  assorted  and  arranged  after 
unique  systems  on  which  each  individual  mistress 
prides  herself.  Lately,  however,  I  have  chanced  to 
meet  some  persons  who  have  begun  to  proclaim 
against  the  building  of  too  many  closets  in  the  house; 

421 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

they  insist  that  a  closet  entails  the  loss  of  valuable 
space,  especially  a  closet  to  which  a  person  must  be 
admitted  who  approaches  a  shelf.  These  persons 
insist  that  wardrobes  are  better,  or  upright  mahogany 
pieces  enclosed  by  doors,  and  containing  shelves  to 
slide  in  and  out,  or  hooks  for  dresses.  A  series  of 
these  in  a  room,  they  maintain,  not  only  helps  to  fur- 
nish it,  but  adds  to  the  decorative  quality.  Well 
made,  these  closets  admit  no  dust.  They  are,  more- 
over, easily  cleaned. 

These  people  maintain,  too,  that  kitchen  closets 
should  be  abolished  in  small  apartments,  the  pots 
and  pans  kept  polished  and  hung  about  the  stove, 
since  the  small  apartment  could  at  best  only  boast 
of  closets  so  tiny  that  the  task  of  keeping  them 
clean  and  crowded  with  pots  and  pans  would  be  im- 
possible. A  shallow  closet  with  no  nooks,  no 
angles,  no  dark  corners,  is  another  affair,  and  so  is 
an  ample  closet  for  the  brooms  and  dustpans  of  a 
housemaid. 

A  house  or  parlor  maid's  closet,  by  the  way,  should 
be  well  stocked,  and  barred  to  the  approach  of  any 
one  wanting  to  put  umbrellas  or  overshoes  in  it.  A 
parlor-maid  is  not  encouraged  to  order  and  cleanli- 
ness, nor  can  she  be  blamed  for  carelessness  if  en- 
croachments are  made  on  her  domain  and  her  dusters 
and  brushes  are  taken  at  random,  or  her  closet  is 
crowded  with  things  tossed  in  there  to  be  put  out 
of  the  way. 

Space  in  a  dress-closet  is  economized  by  a  rod  run 
from  one  side  to  the  other,  on  which  clothes  are  sus- 

422 


HOMES  AND    THEIR  DECORATION 

pended  from  supporters  like  those  that  are  seen  in 
all  the  large  retail  establishments. 

Our  climate  renders  necessary  a  different  order  of 
living  and  a  different  architecture  from  that  of  other 
countries.  The  interiors  of  our  houses  must  be 
appointed  on  a  different  scale.  We  have  so  many 
things  to  care  for,  —  winter  things  and  summer 
things ;  those  for  spring  and  those  for  autumn.  I 
noticed  no  closets  for  the  clothes  of  orphan  chil- 

motive,    surface  jor  c&rviad.or  for  burnind  012  v/oocf 


dren  in  Havana,  only  a  series  of  big  pigeon-holes 
arranged  around  a  dormitory  in  one  of  the  chari- 
table institutions  which  we  established  for  them. 
"  Where  do  you  keep  the  winter  clothes  ?  "  I  asked. 
"  There  are  none,"  was  the  answer.  "  Each  child 
has  a  small  woollen  shawl  and  one  flannel  under- 
shirt for  chilly  days.  They  never  need  any  more." 
And  then  it  all  came  over  me  how  simplified  life 
might  be  for  us  if  we  never  "  needed  any  more," 
and  if  the  "  more  "  we  did  need  did  not  include 
so  many  things  —  furs  and  rugs  and  curtains,  and 

423 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

blankets  and  wraps,  to  say  nothing  of  coats  and 
dresses  and  bonnets  and  shoes  and  flannels  for  four 
different  seasons  and  countless  changes  of  tempera- 
ture, for  so  many  different  kinds  of  snowy  and 
windy,  wet  and  dry  days,  that  some  of  us  are 
inclined  to  believe  the  foreigner  right  who  said 
that  in  New  York,  at  least,  we  had  no  climate,  only 
weather. 

Then,  besides  our  bodies,  there  are  our  sofas  and 
chairs  to  be  cared  for,  our  pictures  and  our  books, 
our  fine  pieces  of  carvings ;  all  those  things,  in  fact, 
which  are  useful  and  those  which  our  taste  has 
impelled  us  to  put  into  our  houses.  These  must 
be  protected  from  the  dust  and  from  that  humidity 
which  makes  the  feeling  of  dust  so  disagreeable. 

The  various  conditions  and  changes  render  im- 
perative the  storing  of  much  in  summer,  of  disman- 
tling our  town  houses,  of  providing  a  separate  dress 
for  them.  We  can  send  our  rugs  and  our  furs  and 
hangings  out  of  the  house  to  be  cared  for,  but  we 
must  cover  our  chairs  and  our  sofas  to  make  them 
endurable,  to  say  nothing  of  protecting  them.  We 
must  cover  our  curtains  when  we  have  our  curtains 
down.  We  should  try  to  do  this  without  allowing 
our  houses  to  take  on  an  uninhabitable  air,  and  the 
best  way  to  accomplish  it  is  to  purchase  some  pretty 
chintz  or  cotton  which,  while  serving  a  useful  pur- 
pose, will  not  rob  our  dwelling-places  of  a  furnished 
look. 

The  gray  linen  once  universally  used  in  our 
houses,  giving  them  so  bare  and  cold  and  uninvit- 

424 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

ing  a  manner,  is  now  seldom  seen  except  on  railroads 
and  steamboats.  It  never  had  any  tact,  this  gray 
linen.  It  always  asserted  itself,  and  a  small  room 
filled  with  it  seemed  at  once  overcrowded  and  each 
piece  of  furniture  twice  its  former  size.  Moreover, 
it  kept  the  lower  part  of  the  room  in  too  light  a 
key,  which  is  always  objectionable. 

With  a  pretty  flowered  material,  on  the  other 
hand,  a  parlor  in  summer  may  be  made  altogether 
charming  and  habitable.  Many  parlors  in  their 
summer  dress  are  even  prettier  than  in  their  winter 
habit.  One  in  an  apartment  which  I  saw  not  long 
since  is  treated  with  a  striped  and  flowered  cotton, 
costing  only  ten  cents  a  yard.  The  furniture  is  all 
covered  with  it.  The  heavy  portieres,  which  were 
left  hanging  for  lack  of  a  space  to  stow  them  away, 
and  also  to  prevent  them  from  showing  marks  and 
creases  from  being  folded,  were  enclosed  in  cotton. 
This  is  a  custom  adopted  by  many  householders. 
Sometimes  a  bag  is  made  and  slipped  over  the  por- 
tieres. An  easier  way  is  to  sew  the  material  to- 
gether at  the  bottom  and  fasten  it  at  the  top  to  the 
curtain  rings.  By  being  made  full,  the  material  can 
be  basted  about  the  thick  hanging.  A  flap  should 
go  over  the  top  by  the  curtain  pins,  so  that  the  dust 
will  not  sift  through  the  opening.  A  piece  of  the 
same  material  is  used  as  a  ruffle  over  the  bare,  un- 
curtained windows  to  break  the  line. 

Expensive  chintzes  and  cretonnes  may  be  used  in 
the  same  way,  and  the  prettier  the  material,  the 
better  the  results.  In  some  New  York  houses 

425 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 


everything    is    covered,   even   the  tables,  with   this 

chintz,  the  dust  being  all  pervasive. 

These  covers  are  no  longer  made  with  braid,  but 

are  finished  with   stitching,  the  two   edges  of  the 

material  sewed  together. 

Careful  housekeepers  have,  besides  these  slip- 
covers, a  set  of  white  linens  for  the  pictures  and 
the  bronzes  of  each  room.  These  linens  are 
hemmed  and  marked  with  the  name  of  the 
room  and  of  the  article  to  be  covered. 

When  awnings  are  chosen,  the  color  must  be 
considered  from  out  doors  and  in. 
For  green  rooms,  plain  green  awn- 
ings are  better  than  anything  else. 
Green  looks  well  from  outside 
against  the  red  brick  of  some 
houses.  There  are  some  plain 
grays  and  browns  that  are  agree- 
able. The  reds  are  well  enough 
from  the  outside,  but  they  give 
no  suggestion  of  coolness  from 
the  interior. 

When  a  room  with  a  fireplace 
to  be  supplied  with  logs  lies  in  a 
wing,  a  device  is  to  send  the  wood 
up  from  the  cellar  by  means  of  a 
dumb-waiter  that  opens  in  a  window-seat.  When  the 
seat  is  cushioned  and  closed  no  one  suspects  the 
presence  of  a  dumb-waiter. 

426 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

The  best  investment  any  young  housekeeper  can 
make  lies  in  a  purchase  of  mahogany,  good  old  desks 
and  sideboards  and  sofas.  They  possess  a  dignity 
which  no  upholstered  piece  of  furniture  can  rival. 
The  best  foundations  in  house  decoration  are  made 
with  these. 

When  purchases  for  a  house  are  made  there 
should  always  be  an  ample  supply  of  vases  for 
flowers  —  not  flower  vases,  either  in  china  or  glass, 
but  plain  or  fluted  white  glass  or  crystal,  pieces 
of  pottery,  fish-bowls,  and  always  simple  green  glass 
vases  of  any  and  every  size. 

The  habit  of  buying  "  ornaments  "  is  dangerous 
in  the  extreme.  There  is  seldom  a  place  for  them 
when  purchased.  Most  of  us  at  some  period  in 
our  lives  have  been  possessed  of  the  passion  for 
buying  these  things  —  bisque  figures  for  mantels, 
mosaic  paper-weights,  boxes  and  vases  of  Scotch 
plaid,  boxes  of  olive-wood  from  Sorrento  or  carved 
wooden  spoons  from  Switzerland,  small,  cheap 
bronzes,  clocks  with  glass  shades,  brackets  with 
cow-boys  crouching  under  shells  as  if  ashamed  to  be 
seen,  things  that  are  found  in  notion  shops  arranged 
on  a  counter  and  sold  at  a  uniform  price. 

Ornaments  for  the  sake  of  ornaments  are  generally 
horrid  things,  and  either  destroy  houses  altogether 
when  placed  about,  or  find  themselves  when  a  house 
is  to  be  saved  inside  of  dark  corners  and  on  top  of 
closet  shelves.  Interesting  specimens  of  crockery 
are  not  to  be  confused  with  these,  nor  are  pieces  of 

427 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

brass  which  have  some  beauty  of  color.  But  even 
among  these  one  must  learn  to  move  warily.  Until 
one  knows  how  to  choose  an  object  of  beauty, 
something  to  be  valued  for  its  special  excellence, 
it  is  better  to  purchase  only  that  which  first  of  all  is 
to  serve  some  purpose. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  you  may  be  forgiven  for 
putting  into  a  dining-room  that  which  would  not 
be  permissible  in  a  parlor.  Thus,  if  you  could 
afford  only  one  stone-china  cup,  you  would  be 
pardoned  for  using  it  on  your  table  if  you  filled  it 
with  the  best  you  had  and  offered  it  with  hospitable 
intent.  No  matter  how  exalted  your  guest  might 
be,  you  would  not  need  to  be  ashamed  nor  blush. 
You  would  still  be  doing  him  an  honor  and  break- 
ing no  law  of  good  taste  or  good  breeding,  because 
you  were  giving  your  best,  supplying  a  need,  and 
refreshing  the  physical  man ;  but  such  a  cup  put  up 
as  an  ornament  would  be  abominable,  while  a  more 
gaudy  or  more  costly  cup  would  be  worse.  What 
holds  good  of  a  cup,  holds  good  of  every  other 
appointment,  —  of  chairs,  tables,  sofas,  vases,  pic- 
tures, and,  most  of  all,  of  so-called  ornaments. 

Although  the  question  of  gardens  does  not 
properly  enter  into  this  volume,  there  are  two 
suggestions  which  the  reader  may  find  interesting. 
In  gardens  laid  out  by  architects  in  these  days  there 
is  in  many  cases  provision  made  for  the  birds. 
Small  pedestals  are  erected  of  various  forms,  holding 
basins  of  water  in  which  the  song-birds  can  dip.  In 

428 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

some  country  places  trunks  of  trees  are  utilized, 
their  tops  surmounted  by  a  basin.  The  cavities  in 
the  rocks  are  kept  filled  by  many  people,  and  it  is 
always  an  interesting  spectacle  to  see  groups  of 
robins  gathering  during  the  day  for  a  plunge. 

Every  householder  prides  himself  on  the  motto 
which  he  chooses  for  his  sun-dial ;  here  are  two  :  — 

"  Pereunt  et  imputantur. "  They  perish  and  are  set  down  to 
our  account. 

"  Horas  non  numero  nisi  Serenas."  I  record  no  hours  except 
the  pleasant  ones. 

It  is  to  be  supposed  that  transoms  serve  certain 
purposes  of  utility  in  a  house,  but  they  certainly  add 
nothing  to  its  beauty.  If  I  had  my  way  I  should 
shut  them  all  up  and  fill  the  space  left  by  each  with 
a  bas-relief  in 
plaster.  Now 
and  then  a  clever 
artist  paints 

them,     and     if     i   -,i  •  r>i      •  H 

3  Lidhr  over  a  cipor.  v.olov»»al  , 

there  be  a  shelf  "Leaded   <Us» 

enclosed       with 

leaded  panes  running  around  the  room,  it  is  some- 
times interesting  to  treat  the  leaded  design  in  the 
glass  of  the  transom.  Occasionally  shadow  silk  is 
pasted  flat  on  the  glass,  giving  the  impression  of 
stained  glass.  In  bedrooms  the  simplest  fashion 
and  the  best  is  to  employ  a  muslin  like  that  of  a 
thin  curtain,  gathering  it  on  small  brass  rods  placed 
on  either  side  of  the  glass.  In  one  or  two  instances, 

429 


5O 


V 


HOMES  AND    THEIR   DECORATION 

when  the  transom  is  permanently  closed,  a  shelf  is 
built  in  front  of  it  and  then  set  out  with  pottery. 

The  newest  of  the  country  houses  of  to-day  are 
built  with  flower-rooms  which  open  out  of  the 
pantry  and  near  the  dining-room.  These  rooms 
are  large  enough  to  hold  two  or  more  persons 
comfortably.  In  the  best  of  them  there  is  a  wide 
porcelain  sink  with  running  water  and  wooden  drip- 
boards  on  either  side.  Part  of  the  wall-space  is 
then  filled  with  a  closet  having  glass  doors,  for 
holding  the  different  flower  vases.  There  is,  of 
course,  a  wide  shelf  on  which  the  flowers  are  laid, 
and  a  drawer  for  the  scissors,  as  well  as  a  cupboard 
for  the  baskets  and  the  straw  trays  on  which  the 
gardener  brings  the  flowers  to  the  house.  These 
elaborate  appointments  are  not  always  possible  to 
every-day  householders,  but  in  each  house  there 
should  be  certain  shelves  set  aside  for  the  empty 
flower  vases.  They  add  nothing  to  a  room  when 
empty,  and  in  a  closet  they  are  well  out  of  the  way 
of  the  dust. 


430 


/as 
2 


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